The Enemy Within
by Lillehafrue
Summary: Ten years have passed since the last attack on the planet Arus. The Voltron Force has settled into a quiet, comfortable family life. But when a new enemy surfaces, will they be ready?
1. Chapter 1

OK folks, after a break, I'm back! This one takes place ten years from where "Sins of the Fathers" ended. Hope you enjoy it. Again, I don't own Voltron or it's characters, just the ones I made up.

This is dedicated to my husband, Steve, who said, "What are you going to do next?"

* * *

They young woman walked purposely through the quad, her book bag slung on her back. Like the dozens of cadets around her, she was smartly dressed in a navy blue uniform and her shoulder length dark blonde hair was in a no nonsense ponytail at the back of her head.

Ignoring the shouts and whistles, she continued across the campus until she reached the landing pad. Pausing a moment, she looked around before heading for the far end. With her creamy skin and chocolate brown eyes, she earned many glances and comments from the techs working in the yard. But she had eyes for only one man.

"Daddy!"

Commodore Keith Montgomery looked up to see his daughter running in his direction. Putting down the clipboard in his hands, he turned as she rushed into his arms. "Hey there kitten."

"It's good to see you!" Nineteen-year old Aria Montgomery beamed up at her father.

"Good to see you too. Do you have everything you need?" He glanced at the small bag she had slung over her shoulder.

She nodded. "I only packed my books. I have plenty of clothes at home and if I never have to wear this uniform again, it will be too soon!"

Keith laughed and took her bag from her. "You look tired kitten, everything all right?"

"I'm fine Dad. Just looking forward to Graduation being over. The Profs have really piled on the work and exams start next week." Aria sighed ruefully.

Keith smiled at his daughters tone. "Then I guess it's a good thing you've got a few days off. C'mon, let's go home."

"Did you bring Black?" Aria's eyes lit up at the thought of riding in the huge Lion.

Keith frowned at his daughter. "You know that the Lions are not to be used for personal purposes. They are defenders of this planet and are to be used only in that capacity." He said sternly.

Aria rolled her eyes. "Blah, blah, blah. Dad, you're the Prince-Consort and the former Captain of the Voltron Force! Black's _your_ Lion for God's sake!"

"He's not _my _Lion. If anything Voltron belongs to your mother."

"Same thing." Aria muttered as they walked across the tamarack.

"What did you say?" Keith asked sharply.

"Nothing Daddy!" Aria said sweetly, batting her eyelashes at him.

Keith glared at his daughter a moment, then shrugged. "Besides, I couldn't bring him. Hunk is charging the Infra-cells." Keith grinned at his daughter, and they both laughed. He led her up to a sleek, deep gold ship.

Aria's eyes widened. "Wow! Where did you get that?"

"I borrowed it from Hazar. Are you going to stand there all day staring, or are you coming with me?"

Aria stuck her tongue out at her father and they climbed aboard. Within moments, Keith had the aircraft in the sky. "We should be home in about an hour." He told her.

Aria stared out the window at the countryside below her and sighed happily. _It will be good to be home. It's been too long, almost five months now._ She stole a glance at her father.

Keith's once coal black hair had lightened to a charcoal grey. He had never regained the sight in his left eye, and there were a few wrinkles around the eye not covered by the patch. He was a little on the thin side, having suffered a severe bout of pneumonia a few months earlier. He kept one hand on the controls and unconsciously rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Daddy? Are you all right?" Aria asked.

Keith nodded. "Fine, just a bit of a headache."

"Want me to drive?" Aria tried to keep the excitement out of her voice.

Keith narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you concerned about me, or do you just want to fly her?"

"You know I worry about you." Aria said, her brown eyes dark.

Keith sighed. "Too much, like your mother." He smiled. "Sure, take her." He pressed a few buttons and turned the controls over to her. Aria deftly took them and without a wobble, continued on their way.

Keith leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, seemingly dozing, but Aria knew better. Her father may have mellowed a bit over the years, but he still like being in control of things.

They were nearly at the Castle of Lions, when she turned to him. "Daddy? Can I talk to you?" She asked hesitantly.

Keith opened his eyes and sat up stiffly. "Sure kitten, what's up?"

"I wanted to talk to you alone, before we got home." She took a deep breath. "I've been chosen for Shadow Corps."

Keith's emotions were mixed. Pride warred with fear over her news. He hid both from his voice. "Were you supposed to tell me?"

She nodded. "My Commander said to talk to you, but no one else."

Keith nodded in understanding. "So, what's the problem?"

"I…I don't want to accept it. I'm sorry." She whispered.

Keith was puzzled. "Why are you sorry?"

"I wanted you to be proud of me." She avoided her father's gaze.

"Set her down." Keith's voice was sharp.

Aria looked up in surprise. "What?"

"Set her down." Keith ordered. Aria found a small clearing and set the ship down in it. "Outside. Now." Aria quickly got to her feet and opened the hatch, almost running down the ramp.

Keith was on her heels when his com-band beeped. "Montgomery."

"_Hey Cap. Saw you making an unscheduled stop. Everything all right?"_ Lance asked.

"Everything's fine. I just needed to stretch my legs. We won't be long."

"_See that you aren't. If you're late for dinner, Nanny will somehow blame me! Harrison out."_

Keith continued down the ramp and found his daughter standing at attention at the bottom. He walked over to a small group of rocks and sat down, motioning Aria to join him. "Now, what is all this crap about me not being proud of you?" Keith snapped.

Aria stared down at her feet. "I thought you would want me to join. That you'd be disappointed that I don't want to." She said quietly.

Keith took a deep breath. "Aria, what are your reasons for not wanting to accept the commission?"

Aria got up and paced the length of the small clearing. "I have a responsibility here, to my planet and my people. How can I take that responsibility seriously if I'm gallivanting across the galaxy at the whim of GG?"

"That's a tough question Aria, and one you have to decide for yourself."

"How did you do it Dad?"

Keith shrugged. "Not very well, let me tell you. Before I met your mother, I had something of a death wish."

"And after you met her too, if I remember all the stories Uncle Lance told me." Aria said mischievously.

Keith narrowed his eyes at her. "You hang around your Uncle too much." His tone softened. "Follow your heart kitten. Do what _you _think is best for you, not what others tell you. Aria honey, no matter what you do, your mother and I will always be proud of you." He tilted her chin up so that he looked directly into her eyes. "Always."

Aria's eyes filled with tears and she wrapped her arms around her father's neck. "Thank-you Daddy." She whispered.

He held her tightly for a few moments, then pulled back. "Now, we're late. Your mother and Nanny are going to have my head!" He started back up the ramp, pausing when he realized she wasn't behind him. "Aria?"

She stood rigidly at attention. "Commodore, I formally request a petition to pilot the Green Lion. Sir."

"What?" Keith asked, taken by surprise.

"I request a—"

"I heard you the first time." He snapped. Keith ran a hand through his hair. "Why? After the speech you just gave me about protecting your planet."

"Because this way I _will_ be protecting it. Daddy please! Mother wasn't much older than I am when she piloted Blue." She looked up at him, her eyes pleading.

"I don't know Aria."

"You let Troi fly both Red and Black." She said sullenly.

"Yes, but Troi isn't heir to the throne of Arus."

"No, just heir to the supremacy of the Druhle Empire!" Aria shot back. Keith shook his head. "Please Daddy!" Aria pleaded.

Keith closed his eyes a minute as his headache took a turn for the worse. "I'll have to think about it."

"But Daddy—"

"I said I'd think about it! Let's move." Without another word, he marched up the ramp into the ship.

_Well, he didn't say no. But he didn't say yes either._ A heartbeat later, Aria followed her father into the ship.

* * *

Keith stood in the doorway of the Rec-room, and took in the scene in front of him.

Hunk was sitting on a couch talking animatedly to Lance and Cliff. Allura, Dorma, Kim and Sereti stood on the other side of the room, watching the children. Hunk and Sereti's son, seven-year old Pidge, jumped up and down with Kim and Cliff's youngest son, Harry, as they watched their siblings, ten-year old Gil and Beth, playing a video game. Keith's youngest daughter, Hope was cheering along with them. Aria was on the terrace, talking to Dreana Dunbar. Dreana was now part of the Voltron Force and piloted the Blue Lion.

Three were missing. Troi, Lance and Dorma's son, was also part of the Force and flew the Black Lion. He was currently stationed at the Garrison base on Arus, and acted as a liaison between the Voltron Force and the Arusian military.

Two other young men, Jaasyn and Garvey, both from Arus, flew the Yellow and Red Lions. They were living at the Castle, but had taken a few days off to visit their families. The last member of their Team, a young man named Sildar, had just left the Force to marry a girl from Pollux, leaving Green vacant for now. Lance and Dorma's daughter Zarana, was on planet Ebb, working on her medical degree.

Keith smiled to himself as he watched his "family". Finally Allura looked up and noticed him standing there. She smiled and walked over to him. She still wore her hair long, and it was impossible to tell the blonde from the silver. Though not as willowy as she once was, she did not look as if she was the mother of a nineteen and ten year old.

"Hi. I thought you were resting." Her blue eyes twinkled at her husband.

Keith shrugged. "Headache's about gone, so I figured I come and see what you were all up to."

She pulled him close. "I'm glad you did." She whispered, kissing him on the lips.

"I am too." Keith said huskily.

"Get a room!"

Keith looked up, frowning as he caught Lance grinning at him from across the room. He draped his arm around Allura and together they walked over to their friends.

Lance was now sprawled across the couch, and grudgingly moved over for Keith and Allura to sit down. He still wore his hair long, and much to the chagrin of his friends, it had only the barest traces of grey in it. He wasn't as wiry as when he was younger, but thanks to thrice-weekly workouts with Keith, he managed to stay in shape. "So there Patch, feeling better?" Lance grinned cockily at Keith. Dorma slapped her husband on the back of the head. "Hey!"

"You deserved it." She smiled fondly at him, then turned to Keith. "Are you all right _cochova_?" Still slender, the only signs of age were the twin white streaks running through Dorma's navy hair from her temples.

Keith groaned. "Why is everyone so concerned about my health this evening?" He glanced over to Aria, who blushed and quickly looked away. "What did she tell you?" He demanded.

Allura smiled. "That you were too sick to fly, and being the good daughter that she is, she bravely took control of the ship, saving you both from certain death."

"Yeah that's what happened." Keith muttered sarcastically. "Cadet Montgomery!"

Aria automatically snapped to attention. "Yes Sir?"

"You and me, 0600 in the gym."

"Are you sure you can get up that early?" Aria smirked. "Sir."

Everyone laughed. "Oh I'll be there, just make sure you are." Keith winked at his daughter as she smiled and went back to talking to Dreana. Keith turned to a still grinning Lance. "Don't you have a meeting to prepare for in the morning?"

After Pidge's death ten years ago, Lance had stepped in to help Coran with the managing of the planet. Much to everyone's surprise, including Lance himself, he was good at it, and when Coran formally retired a few years later, he appointed Lance as his successor. Coran had passed away three years ago, and his absence was still painful to them all.

Lance shrugged. "All set. There's not much going on at the moment. Basically just getting everything squared away for your trip to Earth next month."

Peace had finally been accomplished between the Alliance and the Druhle Empire. And it was no thanks to Keith and his Team that brought that peace about. The formal signing of the peace treaty was to be held on Earth and Keith was expected to be there for it.

"And before that Keith, don't forget, you're the Commencement speaker at graduation." Cliff added.

Keith groaned. "Don't remind me!"

"Don't tell me the mighty Montgomery is nervous?" Cliff grinned at his friend's discomfiture.

"It isn't like it will be the first speech you've ever given." Allura piped in.

"You teach classes for goodness sake Keith, why should a little speech in front of hundreds of people make you nervous?" Kim teased.

"Thousands. Don't forget that it's being transmitted planet wide." Hunk grinned at the scowl on Keith's face.

"Millions. They're transmitting to Earth too." Cliff added causing Keith to groan.

"He's just a wuss." Lance winced as his wife hit him again.

"You people all suck." Keith crossed his arms over his chest and sank deeper into the couch.

"Aww, poor baby." Allura ran her fingers across his forehead. "Tell us why you're so afraid dear."

Keith scowled at her. "First, I'm not afraid. I just don't like talking in front of alot of people. Second, I hate writing the damn things. Third, why'd they pick me anyway? I mean, there are plenty of more interesting people to listen to."

"That's for sure." Lance muttered.

"Keith, you are the Captain of the Voltron Force—" Dorma started.

"Former Captain." Keith interrupted.

Dorma rolled her eyes. "All right, _former_ Captain. Plus, you have been invaluable in the efforts to establish peace between our peoples."

"Not to mention, this whole Academy idea was yours in the first place mate." Cliff added.

"And you seem to have no problem ordering us around." Hunk quipped.

"Let's not bring up the whole Prince-Consort thing, or that your daughter is the Valedictorian of the first ever graduating class." Allura smiled proudly.

"And last but not least," Lance draped his arm across Keith's shoulders. "You're just so damn pretty!"

Everyone burst out laughing. Keith glared at his friends. "As I said before, you people all suck."

Just then, Hope, Pidge, and Harry came over. "Papa, Beth and Gil won't give us a turn." Harry whined.

"Yeah, they said little kids can't play this game." Pidge added. Hope nodded in agreement, her blonde ponytail bobbing.

Cliff started to get up, but Lance stopped him. "I'll handle this. C'mon Hunk." He hauled his teammate to his feet. "Lead the way Hopeless." Lance placed his hand on top of Hope's head and steered them across the room.

Keith watched them walk away, and stretched his hands over his head, yawning. "_Cochova?_" Dorma's violet eyes were filled with concern.

"I'm fine Dorma, it's just a headache."

She lightly ran her fingers across his brow, and closed her eyes in concentration. Keith felt a 'SNAP' in his head, and his headache disappeared. "Is that better?"

Keith winced a moment, then relaxed. "Much. Thanks sis."

She smiled. "All you need to do is ask." She wandered over to join her husband. Soon yelling and cheering could be heard from the other side of the room.

Sereti got to her feet. "I'd better go see what's going on before those two incite a riot."

Cliff stretched out across the couch. His amputated leg had been replaced by a bionic one, and he walked with barely a trace of a limp. His history classes were in high demand at the Academy. "So old chap, are you really that nervous?"

Keith shrugged. "I don't know why I should be. I mean, it's just a speech right?"

"Yes but it's your daughter graduating. She's growing up. Aria's not your little girl anymore." Kim added.

Keith looked over to his daughter and sighed. "I know." He sat quietly for a few moments. "She wants to tryout for Green."

Allura started. "What?" Then she shook her head. "No."

"She's earned the right Allura." Keith told her.

Allura shook her head again. "I said no."

"Allura love, she's at the top of all her classes, and her flight skills are a thing to behold. Puts even Keith here to shame. Much as I hate to admit it, she could be the one we've been looking for." Cliff told her.

Allura glared at him. "We'll discuss it later."

Keith wisely dropped the subject. He leaned forward and poured himself a glass of water from the pitcher on the table, and nodded towards the noise at the opposite end of the room. "Why's Lance so wound up?"

Kim laughed. "He just heard from Zarana that she'll be able to get here for graduation next week."

Allura beamed. "That is good news! Don't tell Aria, let it be a surprise. They haven't seen each other in….I can't remember how long."

"Since before Christmas." Keith finished, sipping at his water. "I agree, don't tell her."

Another loud whoop from Lance made them all turn. "I think I need to check on this." He held his hand out to Allura and together with Cliff and Kim, joined the others in front of the computer screen.

Lance and Hunk had pushed the kids out of the way and were locked together in mortal combat. "Take that you pansy!" Hunk hollered as he blasted at Lance.

"Right back at you Chubby!" Lance retorted.

Hunk's paunch had grown considerably over the past few years, and like Keith, his dark hair was liberally streaked with grey. Time hadn't slowed his reflexes however as he sent his ship after Lance's. "Ha!"

Keith shook his head in amusement. "You two are worse than the kids."

Lance waved his hand over his head. "Did you hear something Hunk? A kind of buzzing in the background?" Lance grinned to himself as the children laughed.

Keith narrowed his eyes at his best friend. "You need to learn to respect your elders."

"I would, but since I'm four months older than you, that technically makes me _your _elder." Lance retorted.

Keith knew it was useless to compete when Lance was in a mood like this. Instead, he pulled open the back collar of Lance's shirt and poured his water down Lance's back.

Lance yelped and sent his on-screen ship crashing. "Hey!"

"Hooray! Uncle Hunk won!" Cheered Harry.

"Not fair. I was distracted." Lance protested. "I want a rematch."

"If you were in a real fight, you can't be distracted Lance." Keith told him sternly.

"Again, I'm hearing that buzzing noise..." Lance rolled his eyes, causing the children to laugh again.

"Maybe you should get your hearing checked." Keith shot back.

"No need to. It's perfect, just like me." Lance came back without missing a beat.

Keith sighed and threw his hands up in defeat. "I give up. Let's go Hope, time for bed."

"Aww, Daddy! A little longer pleeeeease!" She pleaded, batting her azure eyes at him.

"Hope, your father said bed. Come on." Allura held out her hand and pouting, Hope took it.

"Aria, don't forget, 0600." Keith called out to his eldest.

"I won't Daddy. Good Night!" She replied.

"Night all." Keith waved as together, he, Allura, and Hope left the room. When they got to their quarters, Allura led Hope to her bedroom to tuck her in.

Keith went into his room, pulled off his clothes and stepped into the shower. When he emerged a short while later, he found Allura sitting in front of her dressing table, brushing out her long hair. She wore a pale blue nightgown that reached to the floor. "Hey beautiful." Keith said softly.

Allura smiled into the mirror. "Hey yourself. Feeling better?"

Keith walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling on a pair of plaid pajama pants. "Much. So you can stop worrying."

She put down her brush and walked over to him, tilting his face up to look deep into his eyes. She loved those eyes. Much as Keith tried to bury his feelings, Allura could always tell what he was thinking by looking into his chocolate eyes. "It's my job to worry. I love you."

He smiled. "I love you too."

"Lay down, I'll give you a back rub." Keith immediately complied, stretching out on the bed, his arms folded under his head. Allura gently massaged the muscles in his neck and shoulders, applying pressure until he began to relax under her.

"Mmmm….Don't ever stop." Keith murmured sleepily.

Allura laughed. "Hedonist."

"I try."

She laughed again, then sobered as she looked down at her husband's body. It bore many scars, the most recent, a laser shot that went through his chest out his back, courtesy of an assassin's attack two years ago. She shivered remembering how he had pushed her to the floor and took the shot meant to kill her. _I've almost lost him so many times._ Her eyes filled with tears.

"You stopped." Keith's voice interrupted her thoughts. He turned to look at her.

"Allura? What's wrong?"

She shook her head and tried to smile. "Nothing's wrong."

He rolled over and sat up. "Don't lie to me Allura."

She leaned into him, wrapping her arms tightly around his chest, and burst into tears. After a startled moment, Keith held her close, stroking her hair. "Honey?" He asked when her sobs had subsided.

Allura looked up at him and smiled tremulously. "I'm sorry."

"What brought that on?"

She got to her feet and walked over to the window, wrapping her arms around herself. "I don't know. Just reliving bad memories I guess."

"What kind of memories?"

She shrugged, not looking at him. "Just of you, and all those times I almost lost you." She said quietly.

Keith sighed. "Honey, it was just a headache."

"I know, but you've been so sick this past year."

"And three years ago, you caught every sniffle that went around the planet, not to mention getting thrown off your horse and needing to have emergency surgery. We're not as young as we used to be Allura. You need to stop worrying honey. You'll drive yourself crazy."

"I can't help it." She whispered.

Keith sighed again, and ran his hand through his thick hair. "Allura?" She didn't answer, so he got up and walked over to her, turning her head so she had to look up at him. "Allura, stop. I'm fine."

"I know, but—"

"No buts. I'm fine." He said firmly.

"Keith, I—"

This time he silenced her by pressing his lips against hers. When they broke apart, she was breathless. "Shall I prove to you I'm feeling better?" He said huskily. Her eyes widened in surprise as he swept her up in his arms and carried her to their bed.

* * *

Sometime later, Allura lay in Keith's arms, her head resting on his chest. "See, I told you I was feeling better." Keith teased.

She laughed. "I should know better by now than to doubt you."

They both laughed, and Keith tightened his arms around her. "I love you." He closed his eyes and sighed sleepily.

"Keith?" Allura asked a few minutes later.

"Mmmm?"

"Are you really going to let Aria fly Green?"

Keith opened his eyes, but didn't move. "I'm considering it, yes."

"I don't want her to." Allura stated flatly.

"Allura…" Keith eased himself to a sitting position, and turned on the light.

Allura sat next to him, her arms folded across her chest. "I don't want her flying Green."

Keith ran his hand through his hair. "You and Lance were created just to drive me crazy, you know that?" He got to his feet and paced the room. "Look Allura, it's just a tryout. She may not even be who we're looking for."

Allura shook her head. "I don't believe that, and neither do you."

Keith sighed. "Why don't you want her up there?"

"She's too young!"

Keith shot her a look. "She's no older than you were when you started piloting Blue."

"That was different."

"How?" Keith asked sarcastically.

"It was a matter of life or death for us! We had no one to choose save myself!"

Keith glared at her. "Funny, that's not how **I** remember it happening. If memory serves correctly, you _took_ the Key after Sven was shot down and proclaimed yourself Blue's new pilot."

Allura glared back. "You had to let me. I was the only choice. With Aria, you have the whole Academy to choose from, not to mention our Military."

"And Troi? What's the difference between him flying Black and Aria Green?" Keith pushed.

"Troi is older, and an accomplished pilot. Aria's never been off Arus except to visit your parents on Earth or Romelle on Pollux. Other than her classes, and the jaunts she takes with you and Lance, she has no real flying experience." Allura retorted.

"And how much did you have?" Keith shook his head. "Stop fooling yourself Allura. I'm giving her a shot."

"Against my wishes?" He blue eyes flashed angrily.

Keith nodded. "It appears so." He said coldly.

Allura drew herself up proudly. "Then we have nothing more to say to each other."

"I guess we don't." He grabbed a shirt out of his bureau and stalked out of the room, pausing only to grab a blanket off the couch as he left. He marched down the halls, empty at this late hour, until he reached his office. Punching in the security code, he went inside and threw the blanket on the couch.

Keith angrily paced the length of his office. Feeling the beginnings of another headache coming on, he reached into his desk and pulled out a prescription bottle. He started opening the top, when a streaking pain went through his chest. He gasped for breath and dropped the bottle to the floor, scattering the pills in every direction. Keith leaned on his desk for a few minutes, until the pain subsided. Then he picked up all but three of the tablets and closed the bottle. Washing down those three with a glass of water, he then sat down on the couch, unconsciously rubbing his left shoulder. Finally, the medicine began to take effect, and Keith slipped into a deep sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Again, I don't own Voltron or its characters, just the ones I invented. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far, glad you're enjoying it!

* * *

The two combatants warily circled each other around the mat. Both were dressed identically in white fencing suits, with mesh visors over their faces. The shorter and more slender of the two broke first, attacking the other with a vengeance.

Keith easily sidestepped the attack, bringing his own sword up, deftly knocking Aria's out of her hand. He followed up with a slice that cleanly tore through the arm of her suit.

"Dammit Daddy! This was a brand new suit!" Aria protested as she pulled off her helmet.

"Then you should have been more careful." Keith replied, pulling off his own.

Aria muttered something incomprehensible under her breath as she toweled the sweat off her forehead.

Keith waited a few minutes for her to calm down, then called out to her. "All right, time for a real workout."

"So what have we been doing for the last half hour then?" Aria retorted.

"Brat. Here." He tossed her a _Katana._ "See what you can do."

They continued their bout, each losing and gaining points on the other for nearly an hour. Aria suddenly spun around, swinging her sword at her father. Keith hurriedly backpedaled, trying to avoid her attack, but to no avail. Aria brought her sword down hard against Keith's, knocking it out of his hand, and following up with a kick that dropped him to the floor. She stood there panting for a moment, until she realized her father wasn't getting up.

"Daddy!" She rushed over to him. "Daddy, answer me! Are you alright?"

Keith groaned and eased himself to a sitting position. "Lance taught you that, didn't he?"

Aria blushed. "Well, he said it was the only way he could ever beat you."

"That's because he stoops to dirty tricks." Keith cautiously got to his feet and shook his head to clear it. "Nice move kitten." He told her.

Aria beamed. "Thanks Daddy." She looked closely at her father. He had dark circles under the eye not covered by the patch, and his face was pale. "Are you alright?" She asked, concerned.

"Fine." He said shortly, his tone warning her to drop it. She began to collect the fallen swords, and placed them in their rack on the wall. "Aria." She looked up at him. "You have one hour. Meet me at the simulator. Don't be late."

Aria's face was a mask of confusion until his words sunk in. She rushed into his arms, hugging him tightly. "Thank-you Daddy!" She whispered fervently.

He held her close a moment. "Just do your best. That's all I ask."

"I will Daddy! I love you." She turned and rushed to the showers.

Keith watched her go, a bemused smile on his face. Then he headed to the men's room, determined to beat her to their meeting.

* * *

Some hours later, Keith was working in his office when the door chime rang. Before he could answer, the door opened and Lance sauntered in. "Why do you bother to knock when you just walk in anyway?" Keith grumbled.

"And Good Afternoon to you too Cap." Lance grinned.

Keith scowled and turned back to his paperwork. "What do you want?"

"Thought you might like to see Aria's results on the sim this morning." He handed Keith a sheath of papers.

Keith scanned them quickly, then looked up in surprise. "Are these for real?" Lance nodded. "Did you take it easy on her?"

Lance shook his head. "Nope. In fact, Cliff threw some of the stuff that _we_ train with and she handled it beautifully. He wants to get her up in Green this afternoon or at least within the next couple of days and see how they handle each other."

"Damn." Keith took his glasses off, and got up and walked over to the window, staring out over the lake.

"She's the one Keith." Lance said, coming over to stand next to him.

Keith sighed. "I know."

They stood quietly for a few minutes. "You've got to let her grow up sometime Keith." Lance told him.

"That's not the problem."

"What is? The fact that you and Allura fought over this, and you spent last night here on the couch."

Keith glared at his friend. "You know what that makes you?"

Lance grinned. "A nosy, devious, meddlesome bastard?"

"Yeah, that's it." Keith sighed. "Lance, how can I make her understand?"

"Want me to talk to her?"

"No. Yes…I don't know." Keith rested his hands on the windowsill and closed his eyes. "Lance, what is happening to me? These headaches, I don't sleep, I can't control my temper. I feel like I'm being pulled in a million directions at once and one of these days, I'm just going to snap."

Lance rested his hand on Keith's shoulder. "You need a break, that's what's the matter. You and Allura both need time together. When was the last time the two of you took a vacation?"

Keith shook his head. "I don't know, a few months ago?"

"Wrong. It was two years ago. You took Zarana to Ebb to start formal med school and left from there."

Keith looked up in surprise. "I hadn't realized it had been that long."

"It has." Lance's tone softened. "Can't you take a few days on Earth and just relax? The parents have been hounding me about seeing you."

Keith shrugged. "I don't know. GG has me on a pretty tight schedule. I'm hoping to try get away for at least a day or two."

"Good. Look, you go get some rest. I'll find Allura and have a chat with her."

Keith shook his head. "Not if Aria's going up in Green this afternoon. I want to see how she does."

"No way Cap. She'll do better if she knows you're not there watching her. And for that matter, so will you." They stared at each other, green eyes locked on brown, until Keith looked away first.

"Much as I hate to admit it, you're right." Keith quickly put his desk in order. "All right, talk to Allura. See if you can bring her around."

Lance grinned. "Oh, I will. It's the Harrison charm."

Keith rolled his eyes and started out of the room. At the door way, he paused and said quietly, "Thanks Lance."

"None needed brother. Get some rest." Lance replied.

Keith nodded and left the room.

* * *

Keith was back in his office that evening, when the door chime sounded. "Come in Lance." He called out.

The door opened, but it wasn't Lance. "Allura?" He said, surprised.

Allura stood hesitantly in the doorway. "Can I come in?" She asked hesitantly.

Keith nodded and she entered the room, closing the door behind her. She wandered around for a few minutes, finally stopping to look out the window.

Keith stood with his arms folded across his chest. "Can I help you with something?"

She sighed. "I'm sorry." She said quietly. Keith didn't respond, but stood there watching her. "I saw her preliminary results. You were right. She'll be fine in Green."

"She hasn't made the Team yet." Keith replied, his tone frosty.

"She will."

"Only if Green accepts her. And then it's out of my hands. Troi has the final say on his Team. The ultimate decision is up to him, not me." Keith said curtly.

Allura looked up sharply at his tone. "I said I was sorry. What more do you want?"

"I want you to start trusting my decisions!" Keith replied angrily. "Give me a little credit Allura. Do you really think I'd put our daughter in danger?"

"No." Allura replied in a small voice.

"Then why? Why do you feel the need to second guess everything I do?"

"I don't know…" She kept her eyes downcast.

Keith sighed and paced the length of his office. "What did Lance tell you?"

"That Aria did incredibly on the simulator. That she was a natural. He and Cliff think she might be even better than you." She said quietly.

Keith bit back a smile of pride. "And with that information, do you still not want her to tryout?" Allura shook her head. Keith walked over and tilted her chin up to look at him. "Then give her a chance Allura. Don't do to her what Nanny did to you. Give her a chance to soar." Allura's blue eyes filled with tears and Keith pulled her close. "Don't cry Allura. You know I can't handle that." Keith teased. He held her, resting his cheek on top of her head. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have lost my temper."

They stood there for a short while, before Allura looked up at her husband's pale face. "You've been working too hard." She said running her hand across his cheek.

"I know. But it's only for a few more weeks. We've worked too hard for this peace for me to drop the ball now." Keith smiled thinly.

"Will you at least try and take a few days off when you finish at Headquarters?"

"I'll try." He said, pulling her close again.

"I wish I could go with you."

"I wish you could too." Keith's forehead furrowed in thought.

"Keith? Hello? Keith!"

Keith started. "What!" He looked down into Allura's puzzled eyes. "Sorry, I wandered off there for a moment."

Allura narrowed her eyes at him. "I can practically see your brain clicking on. What are you thinking?"

"Nothing. What?" He frowned at her.

"You're up to something."

"Me? Up to something?" Keith asked innocently.

She pulled his face down and kissed him soundly. "Friends?"

"More I hope." Keith replied kissing her back and pulling her close again. "I'm sorry Allura."

"So am I Keith. Will you come home?" She asked.

He smiled down at her. "Of course. Let's go, I'm starving." His stomach grumbled.

Allura laughed. "I think I could find some leftovers for you." Hand in hand, they made their way out the door.

* * *

The young man walked confidently through the Castle hallways. His skin was the palest of blues and his thick hair was a sandy brown. But it was his eyes that broke hearts around the universe. They were a deep emerald green, with flecks of amethyst running through them. He wore an Arusian military uniform, and carried the rank of Lieutenant. He paused a moment in front of the doors to the Control Room, then stepped inside.

Allura looked up when she heard the doors open. Her eyes widened in surprise and delight. "Troi!" She held out her arms for a hug.

"_Vahlaa,_ you are as beautiful as ever." His green eyes twinkled at her.

Allura blushed pink. "You rogue. Just like your father."

"Speaking of the old guy, where is he?" Troi asked, looking around.

"I heard that." Lance waved from the other sided of the room. Troi grinned and waved back.

He and Allura walked over to Lance. "When did you get in? I hadn't realized you were back." Allura asked him.

"Just now. _Vahloo_ Keith called and said he wanted to meet with the Team. I saw Jaas and Garvey on the tamarack, they should be here soon." Troi answered.

"Son, how are you?" Lance asked, clasping his son in a hug.

"Great _Palda,_ the troops are starting to look good." He glanced around the room. "It looks quiet. What's going on?"

Lance glanced at Allura, who bit her lip in uneasiness. "We think we may have found a pilot for Green. Cliff and Keith want the whole Team to run some drills." He told his son.

"Who'd you find?" Troi asked.

Lance shook his head. "You know the rules pal. You'll find out on the field."

Troi smiled. "I guess I will." He paused and looked around. "Where is _Vahloo_ Keith anyway? I figured he'd be here before me."

"He'll be here soon. He didn't sleep well last night." Allura said quietly.

Lance looked up sharply. "Another headache?" She nodded. "Damn. I told him the other day that he was working too hard."

"Graduation is tomorrow, then he leaves for Earth. He promised me he would try and take a few days off to relax."

Lance turned back to the computer. "Just to make sure, I think I'll put in a call to my folks. Mom'll guilt him into visiting for a couple of days."

Allura placed her hand on his arm. "Thank-you Lance." She said softly.

"Anytime Allura, you know that." He smiled back at her.

"Hey Harrison. Get away from my girl."

They all looked up as Keith walked into the room. Troi forced himself to not rush over to his uncle. The changes might not have been obvious, but Troi hadn't seen Keith in over a month and was shocked at his uncle's appearance. Keith was pale, and he held himself stiffly, as if in pain. Troi pasted a smile on his face and turned to Keith. "Good morning. Commodore, I understand you may have found a replacement for Green."

"Maybe I did Troi, and no, I'm not telling you who it is." Keith grinned. "Welcome home Lieutenant." He said, clasping the boy's hand.

"Thank-you Sir." He nodded to Allura. "I'll talk to you later _Vahlaa._ _Te laidiy dek setti Palda._" With a wave he left the room. He nearly ran into Aria in the doorway. "Hey squirt, how's things at school?"

"Troi!" Aria felt her cheeks grow warm. "I didn't know you were home."

"Just got here. Keith called the Team in. Seems he has a potential pilot for Green. Heard anything?"

She shook her head and avoided his eyes. "No idea."

"Well, I'd better go find the others. See ya squirt!" He tousled her hair and continued down the hallway.

Aria watched him go, her heart fluttering in her chest. After he had rounded the corner out of sight, she took a deep breath and stepped inside the Control Room. She saw her parents talking by the main console, and walked over to them. Lance winked at her when she got close.

"Aria, there you are." Keith looked up and smiled. Aria stood before them, and dropping the cloak around her shoulders, was dressed in Allura's old flight suit. "Where did you find that?"

Aria blushed and self-consciously brushed her uniform. "It was all I could find. You told me not to tell the others, so I couldn't ask Dreana to borrow one of hers."

Allura smiled. "It fits you well."

"Not really." She grinned up at her mother. "You're a bit more…endowed then I am Mom."

Allura blushed pink as everyone laughed. "All right. Get to the tube. Remember, out there Troi is your commander. You are to obey his orders." Keith said sternly.

Aria snapped off a sharp salute. "Yes Sir."

Keith glared a moment, then softened. "Go." Aria turned and started out the door. "Aria!" She turned. "Good luck."

Aria broke into a grin. "Thanks Daddy!" She rushed out the door.

Lance stood. "I'll go give her a hand. Hey squirt! Wait up!" He sauntered out after Aria.

Keith sighed. "Good thing he's happily married. I'd hate to have to trust him around my daughter."

Allura laughed. "You don't trust _anyone_ around your daughter."

Keith frowned at her. "You're just as much a brat as she is."

"Now you know where she gets it from." Allura said, kissing him lightly. Then she sobered. "Do you really think she can handle this?"

Keith pulled Allura close. "I do. She'll be fine Allura."

"I know, it's just…"

"I don't want her to grow up either." Keith admitted quietly.

Allura looked up at him, her blue eyes shining. "I do love you."

"Then why are you always giving me such a hard time?"

"That's my job." She smirked.

"Consider yourself fired." He held her close again. "I'd better get going." He kissed the top of her head and started towards the door. Half-way there, he turned back. "Allura?" She looked up. "I love you too."


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry it's taken me so long to update! Had a bit of writer's block for a while. Enjoy and thanks to everyone who's read and/or reveiwed.

I don't own Voltron or it's characters, just the ones I made up.

* * *

"Nervous squirt?" Lance asked.

Aria shook her head. "Not as much as I thought I would be."

"Thatta girl." They walked down the hallway in silence.

"Uncle Lance?"

"Yeah honey?"

"Mom and Dad, are they…" Her voice trailed off.

"Are they what?"

She sighed. "They fight all the time."

"Aria." Lance pulled her to a stop. "They're both under alot of stress, and you know your father. He'd rather do a job himself than risk some one else doing it and screwing it up. Myself included. And your mother, well she works as hard as he does, only she knows how to take a break once in a while." Aria sighed and looked down at her shoes. "Look honey, don't worry. Keith can be a bitch to live with, trust me, I did it most of my life. They don't fight anymore than any other married couple."

"I never hear you and Dorma fighting."

Lance laughed. "Then you need to get your hearing checked kitten. Look Aria, don't fret. I know for a fact that they made up two days ago and everything's fine." She gave him a doubtful look. "Trust your Uncle Lance."

She finally smiled. "Yeah, that's never gotten me into trouble." He laughed and pulled her into a hug. ""Uncle Lance? Do you think I can do this?" She whispered into his shoulder.

He sighed. "Is this what **you** want? Or are you trying to do this for your parents?"

Aria looked up at him, her chocolate eyes clear and bright. "This is what **I** want."

Lance smiled. "Then yes, you can do this." He glanced down at his watch. "And if we don't hurry, you'll be late. Come on squirt." He took her hand and they hurried down the hallway.

* * *

Troi met up with his Team in the Rec-Room. Jaasyn Alitetare was a typical Arusian with his honey blonde hair and blue eyes. He stood tall, almost six inches taller than the rest of the Team. He was staid in demeanor and took his duty to the Force seriously.

Garvey Lestrieal had a similar look only shorter, and his hair was redder, which perfectly set off his hazel eyes. He was the clown of the group, always making them laugh with his antics.

Dreana Dunbar had surprised her friends and family by presenting herself to Keith after her graduation and demanding a tryout for the Voltron Force. Together with Troi, she became to first new members of the Team. Her ebony hair was as long as Allura's and right now she wore it up in braids encircling her head. Her cobalt blue eyes were wide with anticipation.

"Hey Troi! Any idea what's going on?" Garvey called out.

Troi shook his head. "Nope. Only that the powers that be think they might have found a new pilot for Green."

Jaasyn looked up in surprise. "Really? Who?"

Troi shrugged. "No idea, they wouldn't tell me a thing. I was hoping one of you had heard something." They all shook their heads. All except Dreana, who frowned. "Dre? You know something we don't?"

"Just a speculation."

"Who!" Garvey asked eagerly.

She shook her head. "No. If Keith and the others don't want us to know, it must be for a good reason."

Garvey rolled his eyes. "Spoilsport." He muttered. Dreana replied by sticking her tongue out at him.

"All right children, that's enough." Troi said to them. Garvey waited until Troi's back was turned, then crossed his eyes and made a comical face at his commander. Dreana burst out laughing, and even Jaasyn smiled. Troi glared. "Want to take this to the gym Lestrieal?"

"I would Lieutenant, but I'd be afraid to kick your ass in front of the rest of the Team." Garvey replied. "Sir."

The others laughed again. Troi shook his head. "You guys are too much. C'mon, let's get dressed and go find out who this mystery person is."

They hurried into their uniforms. When Keith and the others had stepped down from the Team, new uniforms were designed. They were ash grey in color, piped with stripes matching each Team member's Lion. Once dressed, they went to their launch chutes and were airborne in moments.

Cliff's face appeared on their viewers_. "Morning all. As you all know, you'll be flying with a prospective candidate for Green. I won't tell you to take it easy, just do the usual drills."_

"Yes Sir." Troi replied.

"Commander Sheffield? Who is it?" Garvey asked.

"_You'll find out soon enough. Good luck."_ Cliff signed off.

"Well, he was alot of help." Garvey muttered.

"Did you really expect any?" Jaasyn asked.

"It didn't hurt to ask." Garvey replied.

"OK Team, enough speculating. Let's fly!" Troi ordered. The four Lions easily fell into formation and circled the Castle. Then they sped off towards the canyon. "All right, keep a sharp eye out for our new trainee."

"I have a reading on my scope. It's Green!" Jaasyn called out.

"Thanks Jaas. Pilot, identify yourself." Troi ordered.

"Greetings all."

"Aria? Is that you!" Dreana exclaimed.

"If not, some one else has been wearing my clothes." Aria smiled down into her viewscreen.

"All right, cut the chatter, we have a job to do." Troi switched over to private mode. "Aria, I don't know what you're trying to prove, but this isn't funny."

Aria frowned at him. "I'm not trying to prove anything Troi."

"Then what are you doing up here?"

"I thought it was obvious."

"Aria, this isn't a game."

"I know that Troi. I want a place on this Team Troi, and no one is going to stop me. Not you, not my parents, no one." She said firmly, cutting the connection.

Troi scowled. "All right then, attack pattern Alpha. I trust you know it Aria."

"Yes Commander." She sent Green spiraling upwards to fall into formation beside the others.

Over the next three hours, Troi ran them through a series of defensive and offensive maneuvers. He had to grudgingly admit that Aria preformed flawlessly. He sighed and signaled for his Team to land on a high plateau in the canyons. He was the first to step from his Lion, and watched as the others joined him.

"Not bad. Jaas, you need to be more aggressive, don't let the others walk all over you." Jaas nodded in reply. "Garvey, you weren't concentrating. Just because this is a practice doesn't mean you can't give less than your all." Garvey scowled but nodded at his Captain. "Lisa, stop trying to be everywhere. I know you want to provide cover for your Team, but you're leaving yourself open. Tighten up, let the others watch for themselves. Wait until they're in trouble, then act." Troi turned to Aria.

The young woman stood rigidly at attention, trying to hide her shaking knees. "Aria, you weren't too shabby up there. A few more practices under your belt, and we'll see what happens."

"Are we going to try a formation?" Jaasyn asked.

Troi thought a moment, then shook his head. "Not today. I want to get back to the Castle and see what Keith and the others have to say."

Troi was halfway to his Lion when his communicator beeped. "Harrison here, what's u—"

"_Troi!"_ Lance's voice sounded uncharacteristically frantic_. "Get your asses airborne! We've got a breach! A fighter got through the outer defenses, taking out the satellites. It's headed towards the Castle."_

Troi broke into a run. "We're on our way!" He buckled himself into Black's seat and took off. "You all get that?"

"We're right behind you Lieutenant." Garvey responded as his Lion shot upwards.

"Aria, I want you to keep back, let us handle this. We'll let you know if we need help." Troi ordered.

Aria frowned and her chocolate eyes flashed angrily. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself before answering. "Yes Sir."

They sped off towards the Castle. Suddenly, the sky around them erupted in fire. "Garv! Get the hell out of there!" Troi yelled as the Red Lion swerved, nearly hitting the ground.

"What _is_ that thing?" Dreana asked as she keyed up the visuals of the enemy ship. It was like nothing they had ever seen before. Dark blue in color, it was shaped like a shark, with three sets of cannons mounted on its underside.

"I've never seen anything like it." Jaasyn commented, trying to get a closer look.

"Attention unidentified craft, you are trespassing in Arusian airspace. Please state your intentions and put your ship down immediately." Troi ordered.

The strange fighter turned and fired a volley of lasers at the Black Lion. Troi deftly sent his ship in a dive and evaded the attack.

"That worked well Troi, now what?" Garvey cracked.

"Evasive maneuvers. Take him down." Troi ordered.

The four Lions swarmed around the enemy fighter. "Firing missiles!" Garvey let loose with his missiles. The enemy ship dodged them effortlessly and advanced on the Red Lion. Garvey swerved, trying to avoid the lightning fast ship. "Guys, a little help here!"

"On my way." Jaasyn sent Yellow in a steep dive between the two ships, trying to divert the enemy fighter. It didn't work, whoever this was stayed close on Garvey's tail.

"Black to Castle, what have you got on this guy?" Troi called out as he sent his Lion after the others.

"_Nothing Troi. We've never seen anything like it and it's not in any of the know archives."_ Lance replied.

"Great…Get the Royals to the bunker. There's only one, but I'm taking no chances."

"_Already done. Where's Aria?"_

Troi glanced down at his screen. "She's well out of harms way. I'll keep an eye on her and escort her back myself."

"_Be careful son." _There was no masking the concern in Lance's tone.

"I will Dad. Harrison out." Troi scanned the area. "OK Team, regroup. Aria, stay back, your family's been taken to the bunker. As soon as I can, I'll escort you in."

Aria nodded. "Yes sir."

"Now, here's the plan—"

"_Surrender now."_

Troi's head snapped in the direction of the voice. On his screen was presumably the pilot of the strange craft. He was swathed in dark blue robes and his head was covered by a large helmet. "Who are you?" Troi demanded.

"_That is none of your concern. Surrender now or be destroyed."_ His voice was eerily robotic.

"You have no right to be making any demands. Land your ship immediately or you will be shot down." Troi told him.

The pilot responded by firing at Red Lion. Garvey yelled as his ship was surrounded by a yellow glow. The Lion fell to the ground and lay still.

"Garvey!" Dreana sent Bluedown after him and stood between her friend and the enemy ship. "Back off creep!"

"_Pathetic." _The enemy pilot buzzed Blue's head and fired. Dreana screamed as her Lion shorted out and toppled over.

Jaasyn didn't hesitate and threw Yellow at the ship, Black following at his heels. The two Lions hit the ship simultaneously, but were bounced off with a loud crackling.

Jaasyn shook his head to clear it. "Must be some sort of force-field."

"I'll take care of it." Troi punched a few buttons and instantly a razor sharp blade appeared in Black's teeth. He sent the Lion after the fighter, but the pilot easily evaded the attack. Too late, Troi realized he had driven the enemy fighter straight towards the GreenLion. "Aria! Move! Get out of there now!"

Aria sent theGreen Lion sharply upwards, trying to stay away from the strange fighter. Jaasyn managed to get his Lion between the two and slashed at the ship with his Lion's sharp claws.

"_I warned you."_ Jaasyn yelled as the now familiar yellow glow surrounded his Lion and it fell lifelessly towards the ground.

"_Kelskata!_" Troi swore as he sent his Lion after Jaasyn, catching the Yellow Lion and lowering it gently to the ground. "Jaas! Answer me!"

"I…I'm alright. No power though. I'm using my communicator." Jaasyn replied.

Troi breathed a sigh of relief. "See if you can contact the others. I'll get this guy away from the Castle and have the Air Force take care of him. Aria, get the hell out of here."

"I can help Troi." She protested.

"No you can't. You saw what this guy did to the others. You're too valuable, get out of here." Troi ordered.

"I'm no more valuable than you are." Aria shot back. "Look Troi, I'm not trying to be stubborn. I have an idea how we can get this guy."

Troi paused. "What is it?" Aria quickly described her plan and had Troi nodding in agreement. "You know kiddo, that just might work. Let's go."

Black andGreen Lions sped off in the direction of the lake, the enemy fighter following close behind. "Troi, pull up. I have a feeling it's me this guy wants."

"Be careful Aria. Remember, I'm right behind you."

"Thanks Troi." Aria turned her attention to the enemy pilot. "Now let's see how good you can really fly." She led the fighter on an easy chase across the water. Reaching the deepest part of the lake, she sent her Lion into a dive, deep into the water. The fighter swerved, looking desperately for his quarry, but the water remained still.

Troi meanwhile, swooped down, turning himself into the next target. He flew back towards the shore, the fighter on his tail.

Suddenly the surface of the lake exploded asGreen Lion shot upwards, catching the enemy unawares. Aria hit the bottom of the ship, sending it spiraling out of control. She followed up with a roar and a giant blade appeared in her Lion's teeth. Slashing, she cut through the tail section of the ship like a knife going through butter.

The ship started smoking as the pilot tried to control his landing. He crashed onto the shore, his ship in pieces.Green and Black Lions hovered over the ship, weapons at the ready.

"Come out with your hands on your head. Make no sudden moves." Troi ordered.

The ship's hatch opened and the pilot climbed out. Limping slightly, he moved away from the ship.

"Take off the helmet."

The pilot complied and pulled the helmet off his head, revealing a mass of charcoal grey hair.

"_Deslava!_"

"Troi, what is it?" Aria called out.

Troi merely groaned. "Look closely at our enemy."

Arai keyed up her visuals. "Dad!"

Keith glanced up, his expression unreadable. He brought his hand up to his wrist. "All right, both of you back to the Castle. And Troi, kindly send someone to pick me up since you two managed to destroy my transportation."

Troi gulped. "Yes sir."

* * *

Lance, Hunk, and Cliff stared at the view screen in disbelief. "Did what I think just happened, really happen?" Lance asked.

Hunk nodded, unable to tear his eyes from the screen. "Yep, it sure did."

"She took him down! She took him down AND destroyed the bloody ship!" Cliff whooped.

Lance burst out laughing. "She did it! She took down the Mighty Montgomery! We need to plan the party!"

"Party? This calls for a national holiday mate!" Cliff joined in the laughter.

"What is going on in here?" They all turned as Dorma entered the room. "What happened to Keith?"

Lance took his wife in his arms and spun her in a circle. "Aria passed the test with flying colors, that's what happened!"

Hunk held his hand up. "Wait a sec, Dorma, how did you know something happened to Keith?"

Silence descended on the room. Lance turned to his wife. "Dorma? Is he alright?"

She frowned a moment, then nodded. "I sense no serious injuries, but he should be checked over in Sick-Bay."

Cliff nodded and turned to the control panel. "I'll have him brought there as soon as he lands."

Lance snorted. "Yeah, good luck with that." Dorma glared at him and turned to march out of the room. Lance waited until she was gone then turned back to his friends, breaking into a grin. "She took him down!" He said again.

Cliff pulled up the visuals of Keith walking up the ramp of the transport ship. Except for a slight limp, their friend appeared fine. Cliff then focused on the remains of the ship. "She did a bloody good job of it too." He smirked.

Hunk shook his head wearily. "Let's laugh it up while we can. You know Keith'll have us putting her back together, working around the clock until the repairs are done."

Lance refused to let the news bring him down. "It'll be worth it. She took him down!"

"How many times are you going to keep saying that?" Cliff asked.

"As many times as I can!" Lance laughed and after a moment, the others joined in. Lance draped an arm across both their shoulders. "Come my friends. This is one debriefing I don't intend to miss."


	4. Chapter 4

I don't own Voltron or its characters, just the ones I made up.

Thanks to everyone who's read and/or reviewed. To my anonymous, I can't send you a reply, but THANKS:)

* * *

Jaasyn, Dreana, and Garvey stood talking quietly in one corner, Troi standing with them. He glanced up at Aria, who stood across the room staring out the window. He walked over to her. "Hey."

She looked up. "Hey."

He smiled encouragingly. "Relax, it's going to be fine."

Aria wrapped her arms around herself and shook her head. "Easy for you to say. You're not the one who shot him down."

Troi placed a hand on her arm. "Aria…"

The door opened and all five snapped to attention. Keith limped in first, followed closely by Lance, Cliff and Hunk. Keith hadn't changed out of his black uniform, and there was a deepening bruise across one cheek. He stopped and stared at each of them in turn. Finally he spoke, his voice calm and controlled. "That was one of the worst drills I have ever seen. If this had been a real attack we would have been in serious trouble." He turned to Garvey. "You need to pay more attention to your flying and less to your wisecracks. Otherwise you'll not only kill yourself, but take your Team-mates with you."

Garvey looked down at his feet. "Yes sir." He mumbled.

Keith then looked at Dreana, who met his gaze fearlessly. "You made yourself a target."

"I was protecting my Team-mate. Sir." She responded.

"Nonetheless, once he was taken down, you should have been on the offensive. Instead you allowed yourself to be neutralized." Dreana went pale and clenched her jaw tightly, nodding.

"Jaasyn, you fared only marginally better." The proud young Arusian stood tall. "At least you managed to do some damage to my ship before you were shot down."

Keith finally turned to Troi and Aria. "And you two. What the hell kind of maneuver was that?"

"Sir, we—"

"Aria, what did you think you were doing? You were told to stay put." Keith narrowed his one uncovered eye at his daughter. "You could have been killed."

Aria went white, then red and her coffee eyes flashed dangerously. "We could have_ all_ been killed. My Team was in trouble and I found us a way out of it."

"Who ordered you to the water? Troi?" Keith demanded.

"Begging your pardon Commodore, but Aria came up with the plan. I believed it would work and we executed it. And it worked, flawlessly." Troi spoke up.

Keith faced him. "She's heir to the throne. She should not have been put into any unnecessary danger." His voice was cold.

"Then why give her a tryout with the Team?" Troi took one step in Keith's direction. "You've always taught us that it doesn't matter _who_ we are, but _how_ we act. Are you changing the rules now because Aria's your daughter?" He snorted. "That doesn't seem fair to her or us."

Lance hid a smile. _You tell him boy._ He stepped forward. "Aria, why _did _you put Green in the water? You know she's the earth Lion."

Aria turned to Lance. "We've all been apprised of the Lions modifications. While it's true that Blue will always be more at home under water, the other Lions are more than capable of performing despite the climate or terrain."

Now Cliff stepped forward. "Keith is right, that was not your best performance. Go get changed and meet me in the Control Room in one hour. We're going to go over today's exercise frame by frame so you can all see exactly what went wrong."

"And FYI, you'll all be helping with the repairs on the Lions and Keith's craft. Go." Hunk added.

The five shuffled quietly out of the room, Aria casting one unreadable look back at her father. Keith waited until they had left, then leaned heavily on the table, sighing. Lance and Cliff were at his side in an instant. "Keith, you OK?"

Keith nodded then grinned up at his friends. "She really did it didn't she?"

"That she did mate. That she did. They all did." Cliff clapped his hand on Keith's shoulder.

"Nice touch by the way, that whole 'Heir to the throne' thing." Lance added.

Keith shrugged. "Had to say it. If she's going to be part of the Team, they can't think of her as the Princess. Or my daughter."

"You've never lorded your station or your family's over anyone Skipper." Hunk grinned.

"My station?" Keith grimaced.

"Should we bow, or just kiss your ring?" Lance's green eyes twinkled devilishly.

Keith rolled his eyes as they all burst out laughing. "I think we should have a party! To celebrate the demise of the Mighty Montgomery!" Lance grinned at his friend.

Keith glared at his friend. "Bite me Lance."

They all, with the exception of Keith, laughed. He straightened carefully. "With friends like you, who needs enemies?" He limped from the room.

Lance's grin faded as he watched Keith leave. "I'd better go check on him."

Cliff nodded. "Good idea mate. We'll meet you in the Control Room."

Lance hurried out the door after Keith. "Hey Cap, wait up!"

Keith paused, on hand resting on the corridor wall, the other rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Lance, what is it?" He asked wearily.

Lance frowned at his friend. "You alright?"

To Lance's surprise, Keith shook his head. "Not really. I think I'll head down to sick-bay and have the docs check me over."

Lance was stunned. He knew Keith _hated_ hospitals. In fact, hate was too tame a word. Keith despised them. "Keith?"

Keith shook his head as if to clear it. "You know, on second thought, I think I'll just head to bed. Do me a favor and ask Dorma to drop by will you?"

"Sure Cap." Lance watched in concern as Keith limped down the hallway.

By the time Keith reached his and Allura's rooms, his head was nearly exploding in pain. He staggered to the bedroom, collapsing fully clothed on the bed, waiting for the pain to ebb. He heard the door slide open and suddenly a cool hand was on his forehead, lifting the pain away. "Dorma?" He whispered.

"Shhh _cochova_. I am here. _Belie sovt._" She ran her hands over his forehead, her violet eyes filled with worry. Soon, Keith slipped into an uneasy sleep, and she crept softly from the room.

"How is he?"

Dorma looked up in surprise. Lance stood near the window, his arms folded across his chest, a stormy look in his green eyes.

"Should you not be with Cliff and Hunk?" She asked.

"They're fine." He replied shortly. "How is he?"

Dorma wrapped her arms across her chest and stared out the window. "I do not know." She said softly.

Lance frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?" Dorma didn't answer. "Dammit Dorma! What's wrong with him?"

She looked up, shaking her head. "There is something wrong, but I cannot sense what it is. Perhaps when Zarana gets home, she will be able to help."

The helplessness in his wife's voice went straight to Lance's gut and he pulled her close. "Easy Babe, he'll be OK."

"I do not think so _Svavaliadeelin._" She looked up at him. "He's hiding something."

"What do you mean?"

She broke free of his grasp and paced the room. "Somehow, he is blocking his thoughts from me."

Lance looked puzzled. "How's he doing that?"

Dorma shook her head. "I do not know. I think perhaps—"

She was interrupted by the door opening and Allura rushing in. "What happened? Where's Keith?"

Lance caught her arm before she could rush into the bedroom. "Easy Allura. He's fine. He had a bit of a crash and went to lie down. As usual, he wouldn't go see the docs so I had Dorma come look him over."

Dorma nodded. "He has a headache, but is resting now."

Allura looked from them to the door, biting her lower lip in anxiety. "Really Allura, he's fine. Let him sleep." Lance told her.

"But…" She glanced again towards the closed door, then sighed. "Tell me what happened."

Lance let her over to the couch. "He surprised the Team with one of Hazar's new prototypes. Managed to take down Garv, Jaas, and Dre before Troi and Aria took _him_ down."

Her eyes widened. "Took him down? How?"

Lance quickly filled Allura in on the morning's events, from Aria's 'bounce' to the debriefing. He wisely omitted Dorma's observations of Keith being able to block her. "He's OK Allura."

Allura frowned and turned to Dorma. "Is he alright?"

"Hey! I just told you he was." Lance protested.

Allura ignored him and continued to stare at Dorma. The Druhle woman smiled. "He is fine. Or he will be with a few days rest. He has mostly bruises, nothing serious. He and the rest of you…" She stared pointedly at her husband. "Need to learn that you are not twenty-five any longer. Nevertheless, I have tended to him. Let him sleep."

Allura smiled and took Dorma's hand in her own. "Thank-you." She said softly. Dorma smiled in return.

Lance sighed. "Well then, since Keith is napping, I guess it's up to me to wrap this day up."

"Try not to enjoy yourself Lance." Allura said wryly.

He winked. "Oh, I won't. Love ya babe." With a jaunty wave, he left the room.

Allura waited until he was gone and turned back to Dorma. "Is Keith really alright? He's been having those headaches again."

Dorma frowned. Ever since Keith's near death by Robeast poison, all those years ago, Keith had been plagued by intense migraines. He took a monthly antidote, but to hear that the headaches had increased, trouble Dorma deeply. She covered her fears however and smiled at Allura. "I will keep a close watch on him. You do not need to worry."

"I never do when you're around." Allura replied. "I have to go…" She looked towards the closed bedroom door, visibly torn.

"I will call you when he awakens." Dorma told her.

Allura sighed. "Thank-you." Then with one more glance at the door, left the apartment.

Dorma slumped forward, rubbing her temples. She had absorbed most of Keith's pain, finding it easier to deal with in her own body. The she cast a look skyward. _Please…let me be wrong about him._


	5. Chapter 5

I don't own Voltron or its characters, just the ones I made up. Please do not use without my permisson. Thanks!

* * *

Troi marched purposely down the hallway, coming to a stop in front of the door to his father's office. He knocked once.

"Come in, it's open."

Troi took a deep breath and squared his shoulders, then opened the door. "_Palda,_ I—_Vahloo_ Keith?"

Keith was sprawled across the couch in Lance's office, what appeared to be a beer bottle in his hand. "Good evening Troi. We were just talking about you. Want a drink?"

"Sir, I wanted to..._what?_" Troi frowned in puzzlement.

Lance grinned. "Have a seat son."

Troi sat down, glancing over at his uncle. "You weren't at the briefing. _Palda_ said you were...indisposed."

Keith chuckled. "I guess that's one way of putting it. I prefer 'getting the shit kicked out of me' when you shot me down." Keith took another long pull from the bottle. "Besides, your mother paid me a visit and now I'm feeling as good as new."

Troi shared a glance with his father. Lance shrugged. "Sirs, I would like to discuss what happened today. I think you were out of line Commodore." Troi began.

Keith leveled his gaze at the young man. "Go on."

Troi met Keith's gaze fearlessly. "You had no right to insinuate that Aria was any more or less important than the rest of us. It's degrading for both her and the Team."

To Troi's surprise, Keith smiled. "You're absolutely correct."

Troi frowned in puzzlement. "Then why?"

Keith took another swallow from his beer. "Why do you think Troi?"

Troi got up and paced the room, finally coming to a stop near the window. "You did it on purpose." He said slowly. "You wanted to see how we would react."

Lance broke into a grin. "That's my boy."

Keith got up and walked over to him. "You're right. I did do it on purpose. If Aria is going to be part of the Team, I need to know you're going to treat her as part of the Team. I never played favorites with Allura..."

"Bullshit." Lance coughed into his hand.

Keith glared. "...and I expect you to do the same." He placed something in Troi's hand.

Troi looked down at Green Lion's Key in surprise. "You're putting her on the Team?"

Keith shook his head. "That's not up to me. It's your Team Troi. I can make all the recommendations I want, but the decision is ultimately up to you."

Troi looked down at the Key in his hand. "I...I'd like to think about it. Talk to the rest of my Team."

Keith nodded. "Take all the time you need."

Troi stared down at the key a moment longer then nodded to Keith and his father. "Thank-you Commodore..._Vahloo. Tresteala ve des cartanei Palda."_

"Will do Troi." Lance turned to Keith as Troi left. "Smooth Cap, real smooth."

Keith sat down on the couch again. "I think so." He sighed. "I hated to do that to them Lance, but it had to be done."

"You don't have to explain it to me pal. If they treat her any different that any one else, they'll all get killed. He has to see that." Lance replied. "She's the one."

"Yeah, she is..." Keith lay back and stared up at the ceiling.

"Keith? You OK with that?"

He sighed. "I don't know. I mean, it's obvious that she can do it. I guess I'm just having trouble thinking of my baby all grown up."

"It happens pal."

"But I don't have to like it." Keith grumbled.

Lance laughed. "Face it Keith, we're getting old."

Keith glared for a moment, then sighed. "Guess you're right...Think he'll put her on?"

Lance nodded. "I didn't raise a fool. He'll take her."

Keith closed his eyes. "Now to just convince Allura."

"She still giving you a hard time?"

Keith shrugged. "Not really, that's what scares me."

Lance burst out laughing. "Keith my friend, admit it, you're still terrified of your wife!"

"You bet your ass I am." Keith chuckled then winced. "And on that note, I think I'll head up to bed." He got up, carefully stretching his arms over his head. "Stupid graduation ceremony tomorrow. I still need to—"

Their attention was drawn to a ship circling the Castle. Lance's green eyes lit up. "Zar's home!"

Keith smiled. "Give her a hug from me and tell her I'll see her tomorrow after the ceremony."

Lance heard the weariness in Keith's voice and frowned. "Cap? You alright?"

Keith forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Go." Lance cast one last look at his friend, then hurried out the door. Keith sighed and idly massaging his left shoulder, made his way to his bed.

* * *

Troi walked the corridors of the Castle, his forehead furrowed in thought. _She's the one, I know she is. No one has preformed that well in Green, not even Sildar. I could practically hear Green purr when Aria landed today. _He sighed. _That was downright devious of Palda and Vahloo Keith to do that. Did they think I would treat Aria different than anyone else on the Team!_ He paused and frowned. _But the thing is, I might. No matter what they all say, Aria **is** the heir to the throne. I suppose the same could be said of me, but..._

Suddenly Troi froze and his head snapped up. He spun around, his arms open as someone rushed into them.

"_Cochova!_"

"_Fladrea!_"

Zarana looked up at her brother, her violet eyes twinkling. "I thought you'd be in bed at this hour!" She tossed her long, sandy brown hair over her shoulder, and linked her hand in his. "What's new here in Lion Country?"

Troi rolled his eyes. "Zar..."

"Come on! I've been out of the loop for six months now! What new gossip do you have for me?" She teased as they walked down the hallway. "I heard Sildar left for Pollux, have you found a replacement for Green yet?"

Troi shook his head. While the two sibs weren't telepathic per se, they had a way of sensing each other's thoughts, especially when something was bothering on or the other. "As a matter of fact, I think we have."

"Great! Is he cute? The docs on Ebb are all too old or busy working. I'm dying to go out and have some fun while I'm home!"

"Well, the new pilot's not bad, but not your type I think." Troi hid a smile.

Zarana snorted. "Since when did you know what my 'type' is? You wouldn't know a pretty girl if she paraded naked in front of you! So, who is he?"

"_He_ is...Aria." Troi had the satisfaction of seeing his sister go speechless, something that didn't happen very often. "Told you she wouldn't be your type." He said as he moved off down the hallway.

Zarana finally found her voice and hurried after her brother. "Aria! The Princess and my best friend Aria! You're kidding me?"

Troi shook his head. "I'm not. She flew with the Team this morning. They've left it up to me if I add her to the Team or not."

"_Skeltatia_ Troi! She did that well?"

Troi nodded. "She did."

"So what's bothering you then?"

He smiled fondly at her. "You always know _Fladrea._" The walked together down the hallway again. "She's the one we need Zar, but she's also heir."

"So? You are too."

"Not really. She's a real princess. If anything happened to her..." His voice trailed off.

Zarana stopped and stared at her brother. "_Juserela Yeserith!_ You're in love with her!" She exclaimed.

Troi's head snapped up. "What?"

"Aria! You're in love with her!"

"I am not!"

Zarana's violet eyes twinkled. "Yes you are!"

Troi muttered something under his breath and marched off down the corridor. Zarana considered following him, but knowing her brother, he would refuse to discuss it. Instead, she hurried off to find her parents.

* * *

Lance fidgeted and pulled at the collar of his dress uniform. He stood in the doorway of the main ballroom, not quite out of sight. His green eyes scanned the room warily. Though security was no longer his detail, old habits died hard.

The graduation ceremony had gone without a hitch. Keith gave his speech with no sign of the pain he had been in the day before.

Lance looked around the room again, his eyes coming to rest on his friend. _Something's still not...right. I can feel it._ His eyes then moved to his son. Troi looked resplendent in his dress uniform. The deep navy set off the blue in his skin and made his green eyes stand out. Beside him, her skin a few shades darker, stood his daughter. Lance beamed with pride.

"_Svavaliadeelin?" _

Lance turned to see his wife walking towards him. Even after nearly twenty years of marriage, he still thought her the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. "Hey Babe."

Dorma shot him a look of disdain, then followed his gaze. "It has been a long time since we were all together like this."

"Yeah it has."

"You are troubled."

Lance shrugged. "I have alot on my mind."

"Really? I did not think that was possible." Dorma smiled teasingly up at him.

"Brat." He sighed. "I guess I'm just worried about everything that's happened. Aria being chosen for the Team, Keith not feeling well right on top of his heading to Earth...I don't know Babe. Maybe I'm just seeing things that aren't there."

She shook her head. "No, you are not. Troi is just as troubled." Lance frowned. Troi had the same sort of 'sixth sense' as his father. Dorma continued. "There is something wrong with Keith. What it is, I cannot tell."

Lance looked sharply at her. "Wrong how?"

"He is ill I believe, far more than he has let us know."

"I thought with that bond of yours, you'd know how he was feeling." Lance asked, puzzled.

"He has somehow learned to block me." She frowned. "I do not know how."

"Terrific." Lance sighed again, then shook off his melancholy. "Enough doom and gloom. This is supposed to be a party!" He bent down and kissed her soundly.

Dorma kissed back. "You are incorrigible."

He smiled roguishly. "And you love me anyway."

She smiled. "I suppose I do."

Lance held out his arm. "Shall we?" Dorma placed her hand on his arm, and together they walked into the room.

* * *

Troi watched the crowd as well. As Captain of the Voltron Force, he was responsible for the safety of everyone assembled. He saw the other three members of his Team, also circulating the room, each also keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary.

Troi's gaze moved to Aria. The Princess was also wearing her dress uniform, her honey colored hair pinned up in a no-nonsense bun at the back of her neck. Troi narrowed his eyes. _I'm **not** in love with her. She's practically my sister! _He sighed. _But I suppose I should give her her graduation gift._ He caught Garvey's eye and nodded. He winked and turned to gather the others. A few moments later, the four of them were all standing in a private alcove, off of the main room. "Are we all agreed on this?" Troi asked, meeting each of their eyes in turn.

"Agreed." Jaasyn replied.

"Fine by me!" Garvey grinned.

"I'll go get her." Dreana hurried off, to return a moment later with Aria.

"What's going on that you can't tell me out—oh!" Aria stopped short at the sight of the Voltron Force all staring, emotionless at her. _Did I get it?_

Troi stepped forward. "Princess..." He began.

Aria's heart sank. _Princess...can't he ever see past that?_ She drew herself up proudly. _I won't do it. I'll be damned if I let them see me cry._ "You wanted to see me Lieutenant?" She asked coolly.

"Yes as a matter of fact I did. Princess your performance with the Team was superb."

"Thank-you." Aria nodded slightly. _But..._

Troi bit back a smile. "It is my honor to present you with this." He handed her a small velvet box. "Congratulations on your graduation."

"Thank-you." Aria replied stiffly, taking the box.

"Aren't you going to open it?" Garvey asked, his excitement barely contained.

Aria sighed and opened the box. "You didn't have to..." Her voice trailed off as she stared down at the Key in her hand.

"Welcome to the Team Aria."

She looked up at him, her chocolate eyes bright with tears. "Troi, thank-you!" She threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly. Troi wrapped his own arms around her. After a moment, they broke apart, each staring into the others eyes.

"Ahem. Should we leave you two alone?" Garvey quipped.

They broke apart quickly, Aria's face red to her hairline. Troi shot Garvey a withering look, which the young pilot ignored. Instead Garvey stepped up and took Aria into his own arms. "You're one of us now!" He picked her up and spun her in a circle, while both Jaasyn and Troi frowned.

Finally Jaasyn stepped forward, taking Aria's hand. He bowed and kissed it. "Welcome Princess."

Aria blushed again. "Please Jaasyn, it's Aria."

"Am I interrupting something?" They all turned to see Keith and Allura standing in the doorway. All five instantly snapped to attention. "Just informing Aria of her new status, Highnesses." Troi responded.

Keith broke into a wide grin. "Carry on then." He winked his good eye at his daughter. "Congratulations kitten. You earned it."

"I'm proud of you Aria." Allura said softly.

Aria beamed. "Thank-you Mother, Daddy."

"When you're finished, I need to speak with all of you in the lounge." Keith steered Allura back to the ballroom.

Troi turned to his Team. "Well then, first things first. I have a practice scheduled for tomorrow morning. 9:00am sharp. I expect all of you to be there." They all nodded. "Good, now let's go see what the Commodore has to say."

They made their way through the crowd to the lounge. Troi was surprised to see his father and mother in the hallway as well. "_Palda,_ is everything alright?"

Lance shrugged. "You know as much as I do Troi. His Royalness commanded us to meet him here. Ouch! Dorma!" Lance flinched as his wife elbowed him in the ribs.

Everyone laughed and they all went inside. Lance was surprised at who had gathered. Along with himself and the Team, were Zarana, Hunk and his family and Cliff, Kim and their children. Lance sent an inquiring glance at Cliff, who merely shrugged in reply.

Keith and Allura walked in a few moments later. Keith cleared his throat for attention and everyone grew silent. "You may be all wondering why I called you in today. First let me offer congratulations to Aria for her accomplishments at the Academy, and her new position as pilot of the Green Lion."

There was a round of applause and cheering. Keith raised his hand and everyone quieted down. "As you all know, I'll be leaving for Earth at the end of the week. What you don't know is that most of you are coming with me."

Stunned silence met Keith. "Well, don't any of you have anything to say?"

Hunk chuckled. "Looks like we got 'em Chief."

"I guess we did."

Allura found her voice first. "What are you talking about Keith? We can't **all **go."

"Right. But you, Aria, and I, and the Harrison and Sheffield families are going. Hunk will be here along with Garvey, Dreana, and Jaasyn to take care of things." Keith told her.

"What about the Force? With Aria and Troi gone, we'll be short pilots." Cliff spoke up.

"I've already taken care of that. Crick will be patrolling the neighborhood with the 'Explorer'. If anything happens, he'll be here to assist."

Lance shook his head in disbelief. "You're kidding...how the hell did you plan all this?"

Keith grinned. "Well, you're the one who gave me the idea." He shrugged. "So, scarily enough, I took your advice and rolled with it." He raised his eyebrow. "Why, don't you want to come?"

"How long?"

"A month."

"_A month!_ You're kidding me!" Lance's green eyes grew wide in surprise.

Keith shook his head. "Nope. The ship leaves Friday morning. You all have four days to pack. Troi, make sure you schedule your practices accordingly."

Troi nodded. "Yes sir!"

"Very well, dismissed."

Everyone started filtering from the room, the youngsters talking excitedly. Lance nodded towards Cliff and the two of them lagged behind. Keith brought one hand up to the back of his neck and rubbed it wearily.

"Cap? Is this really a good idea?" Lance asked.

Keith looked up. "Huh?"

Cliff frowned. "You alright mate?"

Keith nodded. "I'm fine." He looked up at them and smiled. "So, did I surprise you?"

Cliff chuckled. "I'll say. Can't remember the last time I went back home. Must be almost three years now."

"Closer to four." Lance added and shook his head. "You sure about this Keith?"

"I'm sure, why, having second thoughts?" Keith asked, frowning.

Lance shrugged. "Not second thoughts just...Never mind."

"Lance, what is it?" Keith asked, sharing a glance with Cliff. They both knew Lance's 'feelings' weren't to be ignored.

"Nothing solid." He looked up and cracked a grin. "Do the parents know about this?" He asked, changing the subject.

Keith shook his head. "Nope. I wanted it to be a surprise all around. I figure they'll find out when Dad shows up at the space-port to pick me up."

Lance and Cliff laughed. "I'd best get packing. Catch you both later." Cliff waved and headed out the door.

Lance waited until he had left then turned to Keith. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Stop fretting Lance. I'm fine. Drop it." Keith's tone booked no argument.

Lance held his hands up in defense. "OK, just looking out for you Cap. Guess I'll go round up the Team then." He grinned devilishly. "Aria needs to be christened."

Keith groaned. "You're not..."

"Oh, I most certainly am! You know the procedure Cap. All newbies get tossed into the moat! Aria's no exception. You're the one who pushed the whole "don't treat her any differently than anyone else" crap."

"God I hate it when you're right." Keith smiled. "Well then, what are we standing around here for? Let's go dunk her."


	6. Chapter 6

I know, I know...Surprise! A new chapter! Firstly, I must apologize for the long, long, LONG span between posting. I got a case of writer's block bigger than the Hoover Dam. Then, other plot bunnies insisted on being written and well, you all know how that goes. But never fear! This will be finished! I finally know where and how I want to get to all the things I want to get to! God, I sound like a hobbit...And I know I have many, many stories to catch up on as well. But the winter months are here and I have plenty of time ahead of me to do just that. So, without further ado...Enjoy!

* * *

Edward Montgomery watched as the ship settled itself into its dock. He waited as the techs moved forward and started connecting the ship to the all the various tubes and lines, then he smiled as the hatch opened and a tall figure started down the ramp. He waved and made his way to the ship.

Keith stopped at the bottom of the ramp, reaching it at the same time as his father arrived. "Hey, Dad," he called out.

Edward had to bite back a gasp of surprise and concern. His son was pale, a fading bruise covering one cheek. Keith stepped forward to hug his father and Edward noticed the limp as well. He gingerly pulled his son into a hug. "What happened to you? You look like something the cat dragged in."

Keith chuckled wearily. "It was a long flight."

Edward wrapped his arm around Keith's shoulders. "Well then, let's get your baggage and get you home. Your mother is anxious to see you."

"I resent being called baggage."

Edward looked up, startled. "My God, Lance?"

Lance trotted down the ramp. "In the flesh. How you doin', Uncle Eddie?"

Edward shot his Godson a look as he pulled him into a hug. "What are you doing here?"

Keith grinned. "Did I forget to tell you? I brought a few surprises."

"Grandpa!" Hope came running down the steps, throwing herself into Edward's arms.

Aria and Allura came next. "Edward, it's good to see you." Allura hugged her father-in-law.

Edward glared at his son. "Who else did you bring?"

"Why the whole lot of us, Sir!" Cliff called out as he and his family joined the others, followed by Zarana and Dorma.

"Did you bring the planet?" Edward joked. "Where's Troi?"

Lance chuckled and hefted a bag to his shoulder. "Still up with the pilot. You couldn't pry him out of there the whole flight. He's as bad as Keith!"

Edward stole a glance at his son. Keith was near the cargo door, supervising the unloading. "Is he alright?" he asked Lance in an undertone.

Lance nodded. "He got knocked around last week during a training session with the team. Dorma claims he's fine."

Edward narrowed his eyes at Lance's tone. "I take it you don't believe her?"

Lance sighed. "Something's not...right. But I don't know what." He shook his head. "Maybe I'm just seeing things that aren't there."

Edward smiled thinly. "Right." He turned as Keith joined them. "Does Alex know you brought this motley crew with you?"

Keith laughed. "Nope. We wanted it to be a surprise."

Edward looked at the large group around him and grinned. "It most certainly will be."

* * *

Keith frowned at his computer, typed in another few sentences, than sat back and stretched his arms over his head. "Bloody paperwork," he muttered to himself.

"Well, well, I heard a rumor you were Earth side."

Keith looked and grinned. "Uncle Alex!" He got up and gave his uncle a hug. "What are you doing here? Thought you retired?"

Alex Harrison chuckled. "Ah, an old soldier never retires." He settled himself into a chair. "So, how's the treaty finalization going?"

Keith sighed and sat down behind his desk. "Just finished actually. All that's left is the formal signing. I leave for New York in the morning."

"You going alone?"

Keith shook his head. "No. Allura, Aria and Troi are coming with me. As reigning monarch and potential heirs, they have to be there. But after the signing, they get to go do a little sightseeing. I have to stay and wrap things up." Keith shrugged. "Lance and Dorma will be there too, but then they're headed...somewhere, you know Lance. They could end up on the moon, knowing him. Hope is staying with my folks. And you've got Cliff, Kim and their brood."

Alex smiled. "I will admit it's nice having everyone around."

"Yeah, Mom said the same thing."

"You do know Annie and Dirk are flying in at the end of the week?"

Keith looked up in surprise. "No! That's great news! I haven't seen them since the wedding."

Alex nodded. "They've been busy at the hydro-farm and getting Annie's practice off the ground."

"I'd never have thought she'd continue with the medical field. Especially after Pidge..." Keith's voice trailed off.

Alex tried to lighten Keith's mood. "I agree. But the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. One of the kids had to take after Brenda." He frowned as Keith rubbed his temples. "You alright, son?"

He nodded wearily. "I really hate this part of the job."

"You know what they say. All work and no play..."

"Make Keith a workaholic."

The both chuckled. "Well then," Alex said. "There's no excuse for you to miss dinner with us tonight. The whole gang is coming, including your parents." He leveled a steely gaze at his Godson. "I expect you to be there."

Keith shook his head. "Sir, there's still things that I need to do before I go. I have to pack, make sure Hazar's made it, check the..." His voice trailed off as he caught his uncle's glare. "I'll be there."

"Your aides will take care of the details. You know as well as I do that all you have to do is show up, they'll handle the rest." Alex sighed. "Son, you look like hell. When's the last time you got a decent night's sleep? This is supposed to be a vacation, remember?"

"Not for me." He looked up at Alex. "It's just for a few more days. Then all this will be over and done with, and I can lie on the beach and do nothing, just like everybody else."

"I'm going to hold you to that, Keith," Alex told him.

"I promise." Keith stretched again, wincing and massaging his left shoulder. He shook his head at his uncle's frown. "It's nothing. I got banged around during a training session with the team last week." He proceeded to tell Alex about Aria trying out and being chosen for the Green Lion.

Alex laughed. "Those kids. An underwater bounce, huh?" Keith nodded and Alex laughed again. "God, where'd they come up with that one?"

"I wish I knew!" Keith smiled at the memory. "She did great. They all did." He looked up, his eye dark with emotion. "I hate to say it, but they're better than we were. It's like they're part of the Lions somehow."

Alex caught the tone in Keith's voice. "Not jealous, are you?"

Keith smiled thinly. "Not really...OK, maybe a little." He gestured around the office. "This is why I fought a promotion for so long. I've turned into a desk jockey." With a sigh, he leaned over and shut down his computer. Gathering a stack of discs, he shoved them into his briefcase and turned to his uncle. "Hell with this. What do you say we hit the Officer's Club before we head home?"

Alex slung his arm around Keith's shoulders. "Son, that's a fine idea. Lead the way."

* * *

Lance held up his glass. "Well, now, that wasn't so bad."

Keith glared at him. "And how would you know. All you did was stand there."

"Yes, but I did it with class." Everyone laughed while Keith merely shook his head. Lance grinned and pulled Dorma close. "So, babe, ready to get out of here?"

Allura frowned. "Oh, you're not leaving yet, are you?"

Dorma shook her head. "No. We will be staying for dinner." At her husband's crestfallen expression, she added, "But not dessert."

Troi winced. "Please..."

Lance winked. "What, don't like hearing that your parents have a life?"

Keith held up his hand. "Who cares what he thinks, _**I**_ don't like hearing it."

At that moment, Hazar joined them. "I am glad the formalities are done with." He raised an eyebrow at the laughter. "Have I missed something?"

Dorma took his hand. "Keith was just expressing the same sentiments, _cochova_."

"Indeed." He glanced out over the assembly. "Tomorrow will be the formal signing and treaty establishment."

Keith nodded. "Then we need to—"

Lance held his hand up. "Please. No work talk. This is a _party_," he said pointedly with a look at his best friend.

Keith glared. "Ha ha."

Allura slipped her arm through her husband's. "Much as I hate to admit it, he's right. Shall we dance?" They made their way out onto the dance floor.

Lance winked at his wife. "Wanna join them?"

She shook her head. "In a moment. I would like a word with my brother before we leave."

"OK. Hey, squirt, let's go." Lance held his hand out to Aria and followed the others. Soon they were lost out on the floor with the mass of other dancers.

"_Malda?" _Troi questioned a few minutes later.

"Come, this way." They moved to a more secluded area of the room.

"Is this about Keith?" Hazar asked.

She nodded. "There is something..."

"He's sick," Troi stated flatly. He met the surprised looks of his mother and his uncle. "I haven't seen him in a few months; I've been busy with the Arusians. He's paler, and thinner. Things you wouldn't notice on a daily basis, but that you can see over time."

Hazar gazed out at the dancers, his eyes picking out Keith. "I agree." He turned back to Dorma. "_Fladrea_, you have not felt anything?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Troi?"

"_Ni, Malda_. Nothing."

Dorma sighed. "Very well. Hazar, we are leaving tomorrow. You will be staying here?" Her brother nodded. "Keep close watch on him. There is something he isn't telling us."

* * *

Keith plastered a smile on his face as yet another diplomat stepped forward and shook his hand. "Congratulations, Commodore. You should be pleased."

Keith nodded. "Thank-you, sir." He waited until the man was out of earshot then whispered to his companion. "Makes you wish we were still at war, doesn't it?"

Hazar chuckled. "It does indeed."

The people continued to file through the receiving line, often stopping to speak to Keith, Hazar or any of the others gathered. Finally it thinned out and they stepped down from the podium. Keith sighed wearily and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I still have hours of paperwork to do when we get done here."

Hazar frowned. "That is what you have aides for, _cochova_. You cannot do it all."

"Yeah, but at least I get it done right the first time. Excuse me; I need to talk to the brass." He walked off towards the opposite end of the room.

Hazar shook his head and motioned to a young Druhle standing near him. "Find me someone competent to assist the Commodore. Immediately."

The man bowed. "Yes, sir."

Nearly an hour later, Keith returned. "There, that's over and done with." He glanced down at his watch. "Damn. Hazar, I hate to leave you with all this, but I've got to go. I have that meeting with the Denubians tomorrow. They're still not convinced you mean this peace treaty."

Hazar nodded. "I understand. But _cochova_, get some rest."

Keith smiled thinly. "I'll do my best." He left and was walking down the hall, immersed in reading his data-pad, when someone in a Garrison uniform appeared at his side.

"Commodore Montgomery?"

Keith kept walking. "Yes?"

"I'm Lieutenant Nichols, sir. I've been sent as your aide."

"And who said I needed an aide?" he asked archly.

"I believe Commander Hazar did, sir."

Now he paused and turned. "Oh he did, did he?" Keith narrowed his eyes at the young man. "Do I know you?"

He smiled. "You had the pleasure of dressing me down during a wrestling class once, sir. And to add insult to injury, you let your daughter beat me up."

Keith broke into a smile. "Nichols!"

The young man nodded. "In the flesh, sir."

They started down the hallway again, heading towards the shuttle. "So, Hazar put you up to this, hmmm?"

"I volunteered earlier, sir, but I was told you had things under control." He peered over Keith's shoulder and peered at his data-pad. "Sir, you do realize you have to be at three functions tomorrow. All at the same time."

"What? Dammit!" He sighed in resignation and handed the pad to Nichols. "Here then, you figure it out."

The young man took the pad and started pressing buttons. He continued working as they boarded the shuttle, taking them back towards Keith's quarters in the diplomatic wing of the new Interplanetary Unity Building. "There you are, sir. All settled now." He looked up at Keith. "Commodore? Are you all right?"

Keith held his head in his hands. He looked up through bleary eyes. "I'm fine, Lieutenant."

Nichols frowned. "Are you sure? Because frankly, sir, you look like hell. Pardon my saying so."

"I seem to be getting that alot lately," Keith muttered under his breath. "It's nothing a little rest can't cure. Which I plan on getting plenty of when I finish up here at the end of the week." The train came to a stop and he got to his feet. The car spun around him for a minute, forcing him to grab the edge of the seat for support.

"Commodore!" Nichols grabbed Keith by the elbow, steadying him. He reached for his com-link. "This is Nichols in Attaché. I need a med-team to the Unity Building immediately."

Keith's head snapped up. "Belay that order, Lieutenant."

"But, sir!"

"I said, belay it!"

Nichols took one look at Keith's thunderous expression, made even more sinister by the black eye patch, and nodded. "Yes, sir. Command? Cancel that last order." He switched off his com.

Without another word, Keith pulled his arm free and marched out of the shuttle. Nichols followed a few steps behind. They paused in front of Keith's door. Nichols took a deep breath and spoke. "Sir? Will you be needing me tomorrow?"

The door opened and Keith started inside, then paused. "Be here at 0700. Good night, Lieutenant."

"Good night, sir." He waited until the door shut before taking another breath. "Well, that was fun. I can't wait until tomorrow."


	7. Chapter 7

Troi walked along the edge of the ocean, his bare feet wading in the surf. There was a sailboat out beyond the breakers and he watched as it moved across the edge of the horizon. A movement off to his right caught his eye and he turned to see a figure walking towards him. He waited until they got closer then recognized Aria. He waved. She waved back and headed in his direction.

"Hey, I thought you'd be hanging out with your grandparents," Troi said when she came closer.

She smiled. "I could say the same to you." She looked out at the sailboat and sighed. "It's so beautiful here. I wish we had oceans at home."

He followed her gaze. "I know."

They stood quietly until the boat had faded from their sight and the sun started to set, turning the sky crimson and indigo. Troi turned to Aria. "Come on, I'll walk you back."

They slowly made there way back up the beach. "It's been a wonderful trip, so far," Aria said to break the silence.

"It has. Where are we taking the kids tomorrow?" Troi asked.

"Disneyland. It's some sort of amusement park. They have a new three-g free fall ride that's supposed to be great though."

"We'll grab Zar and check it out."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Mom, Kim, Cliff and all the grandparents are coming, too."

"That's quite a group. The three of us should be able to sneak off and have some real fun." He grinned down at her.

"Speaking of fun, where do you think your parents went?" Aria asked.

Troi chuckled. "Knowing my father, they could be anywhere. But at least he's got Mom with him to keep him out of trouble."

She laughed. "Remember the time he took us camping? He said it would be a nice overnight in the woods."

Troi snorted. "Nice overnight? It poured!"

"Don't forget the bugs."

"Who could forget? I still have the scars." They both laughed.

"Annie and Dirk should be here tomorrow sometime, too," Aria said a few minutes later.

Troi smiled. "It'll be good to see them. How long has it been? Two years?"

"Closer to three, I think," Aria answered. "Garret won't be coming though. He and his wife are staying to watch the farm."

"I'm not surprised. I think seeing us brings back memories for him that he'd rather forget."

Aria nodded. "I do, too." She smiled. "Who'd've thought Annie and Dirk would have ended up together. I mean after Pidge died, I didn't think she'd ever smile again."

Troi shrugged. "I know. But sometimes you find love when you're not looking for it. It's something that was right in front of you all the time."

Both grew quiet, each lost in their own thoughts. They were nearly to the path leading back to the Montgomery house when Aria paused. "Troi?"

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"I...my father. He's sick, isn't he?" she asked quietly.

Troi was startled at the question. "He...I...what makes you think that?"

She wrapped her arms around herself and sat down in the sand. "He is. I can see it." She looked up at him. "Tell me. Please."

He sighed and sat down next to her. "Aria, there is something wrong with your father. But..." His voice trailed off.

"But what?"

"We, my mother and I, we don't know what."

She looked at him in surprise. "But I thought with that link they had—"

"That's just it. Keith has somehow learned to block her. She can only tell that something isn't...right."

Aria frowned. "What does that mean?"

Troi shook his head. "She doesn't know."

"And you feel the same?" He nodded. "He never really recovered from his pneumonia, did he?" She spoke quietly, her eyes on the horizon.

He sighed again. "_Svavaliade fladrea, _you know as well as I do how stubborn a man your father is. If he doesn't want you to know something, you won't."

A solitary tear ran down her cheek. "I'm afraid, Troi. What if he's really sick? What if...what if he dies? How will Mother cope? How will I?"

Troi wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. "Aria..." He held her as she sobbed against him. "_Belie sovt. _It'll be alright." He rubbed her hair until her crying stopped, but continued to hold her. Finally she started to pull away, and he let her go. "Feel better now?"

She nodded and wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry, Troi. I don't know what came over me. Everything's happening so fast." She got up and walked down to the edge of the water. "Graduation, making part of the Team, coming here, Dad...It's just so much." She put her head in her hands.

Troi got up and walked over to her, pulling her close again. "But you're not alone. You have the Team. You have Zar and me. Aria, you're not alone." He tilted her chin up to place a brotherly kiss on her lips.

It didn't stay that way.

He broke off and stared down into her chocolate eyes, then crushed her against him. She leaned into him, fisting her hands in his hair. Finally they both stepped back, each breathless.

"Aria..."

She put her hand on his lips. "Don't, Troi. Don't say anything."

"But—"

She silenced him by pulling him close this time. He hesitated a moment, then lost himself in her. Finally he pulled back and stared down at her. He smiled and took her hand in his. "Come, let's go home."

Hand in hand, they walked up beach, the sun setting behind them.

* * *

Lance stared out the yacht window at the snow cover glaciers in the distance. The sun had set as much as it was going to, painting the landscape in shadowy blues and purples. He sighed in contentment.

"_Svavaliadeelin?"_

He felt Dorma's arm slip around his waist. "Hey, Babe."

She followed his gaze outside. "It certainly is beautiful here."

"I thought you would like it." He shifted her around so that she stood in front of him, his arms wrapped around her. "Love you."

"I know." She smiled teasingly up at him. "Tell me," she said, turning back to the view. "Why did you choose this for us?"

Lance frowned. "I thought you liked snow?"

"I do. My home planet was covered in ice."

"Then what's not to like? We're alone except for a couple of crewmen, no one to see or talk to us for miles. Hell, we don't even have to get out of bed!" He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

She laughed and snuggled closer to him. "I will admit it is good to get away."

"Uh-oh, I sense a 'but' here..."

"No, it is just..." She turned to look up at him again. "It is just strange, the quiet. No one looking for you or I. No formal meetings of state to attend. There is no one but the two of us." She pulled his head down to her and kissed him long enough to make his knees buckle.

When they broke apart, Lance's eyes were dark with emotion. "Dorma..."

"Come, let me show you just how happy I am to be here." She took his hand and led him towards their bedroom.

* * *

Keith sighed to himself as the room erupted in arguing again. "I thought this was a done deal?" he muttered to Nichols who sat next to him.

Nichols shook his head. "I thought so too. Looks like the Ambassador from Kelvecta doesn't agree to the terms of the peace agreement."

"I don't understand why. He'd never even heard of the Druhle Empire until Hazar proposed this." Keith sighed again and rubbed his temples.

Nichols raised an eyebrow. "Are you all right, sir?"

"Yeah, just tired and achy. I must have caught some sort of bug." He rotated his left shoulder, wincing slightly. "The crash I took before I left Arus didn't help either." He grinned ruefully. "Thank God I only have one day left."

His aide chuckled softly. "Heading back to California, sir?"

"Yes. And I can't wait." He looked up at the arguing dignitaries and shook his head. "I guess I'd better step in and deal with this." Keith took a deep breath and stood. "Gentlemen, please. I'm sure we can discuss this matter in a more orderly fashion."

Four hours later, the argument was still in full swing.

Keith clenched his teeth against the comments he wanted to throw at the bickering diplomats. "Ambassador Kiltev, perhaps if you and Ambassador Greden could—"

"No! I will not acquiesce to anything! Not until I am certain of the terms of this treaty! This could just be another way for the Druhle Empire to seize more planets!"

"But, sir, Commander Hazar—" Keith tried again.

"I do not trust Hazar! Who is to say that once this treaty is signed, he and his armies won't attack again!"

_Pompous windbag._ Keith's shoulders were tight with suppressed emotion. "I can assure you, Ambassador that will _not_ happen."

The tall man turned his steely gaze on Keith. "Just because you are thick as thieves with the Druhles, doesn't mean the rest of us have to be." With a swish of his long robes, Kiltev marched from the room, his entourage right behind him. A few moments later, Greden followed at his heels, leaving the room empty except for Keith and his aide.

"That went well," Nichols commented wryly.

"You think?" Keith snapped back. He sighed and threw himself into a chair, idly rubbing his left shoulder. "This better not mean I'm stuck here for another week while those two idiots sort things out," he growled. He winced and rotated his stiff shoulders.

"Commodore? Is everything all right?"

"Yeah." Keith got up and paced the room. "Set up a one-on-one meeting with the brass so I can fill them in on this mess." He paused and closed his eyes for a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I have a feeling we're going to have to...Damn..." Keith's voice trailed off as the room spun around him. He clutched the edge of the table to keep himself upright.

"Sir?" Nichols called out, concerned.

He held his hand up. "I'm...OK...We need to..." He bit back a moan as a streak of pain lanced through his chest.

"Commodore Montgomery!"

Keith was having trouble catching his breath. Waves of pain raced through him and he slumped down in a chair. "I...I can't...breathe..." he gasped.

Nichols sprang to his feet and rushed to his superior's side. He hit a button on his com-link. "Nichols in attaché. I need medical assistance to Conference Room Beta, immediately!" He turned his attention back to Keith. "Sir, I need you to relax."

Keith was deathly pale, his breath coming in short gasps. He clutched at his chest, fumbling with the clasps on his jacket. Nichols quickly unfastened them. "Easy, sir; help is on the way." Moments later the door opened and a medical team hurried in.

Keith's legs and arms were going numb and he closed his eyes. Strangely, he could no longer feel any pain. The voices of Nichols and the medics faded in the background as he lost himself in the darkness.


	8. Chapter 8

Yes, I know, a new chapter, finally! Thanks everyone for your patience as I struggle through this. I thought I had it all planned out, but then the muse decided to change things around. Bad muse...Anywho, enjoy!

* * *

Aria smiled as she watched her little sister prance around the shop. She and Hope were in a princess shop where girls could pick their dress, shoes, even crowns. Currently, Hope was wearing a pink taffeta dress and heels. She had two crowns in her hands and stood in front of the large mirrors trying to decide which one she liked best.

"Aria? Can you help me?"

She walked over to her sister. "What seems to be the problem, Hope?"

"I can't decide which one I like best. The pink..." She placed a gold crown adorned with pink "gems" on her head. "Or the blue." The second tiara was silver. "Which do you like?"

"Hmmmmm..." Aria frowned thoughtfully. "I think the pink one matches your dress." She then leaned in close and whispered in her sister's ear. "But your real one looks best," she said with a wink.

Hope giggled as the saleswoman walked over to them. "Did you find something you liked, dear?" She surveyed Hope's reflection and smiled. "My, my, you look like a real princess!" Both Hope and Aria burst out laughing and the puzzled saleswoman went back to the counter.

"Come on, Hopeless, Mom and the others are waiting for us." Hope changed back into her clothes while Aria paid for the dress and accessories. She took her sister's hand and together they walked outside. A man in dark sunglasses nodded to Aria, and followed them at a discreet distance. They walked down the street, Aria's eyes darting about, looking for the rest of their party. Suddenly, Hope gave a whoop and ran ahead. Aria and the body guard quickened their paces, then relaxed when they saw Hope leap into her grandfather's arms.

Troi was standing next to her mother, and Aria's heart skipped a beat as he looked up and smiled at her. Zarana gave her brother a nudge. "Easy, tiger." He scowled down at her.

Aria smiled at him, then turned to her mother. "One princess, decked out and ready to take the park by storm!"

Hope giggled. "Aria picked out my crown."

Allura ran her hands over her youngest daughter's blonde head. "It's beautiful, sweetheart." She looked up. "Are you heading out now?" she asked Aria.

Zarana nodded. "We really want to try out the coaster. And it's not something for the little ones."

"Be careful," Alex told them with a pointed look towards the body guard.

Troi nodded. "_Sa, Taakpalda._ Let's go, ladies." He held out his elbows and both Zarana and Aria linked their arms in his. They wandered off into the crowd, the body guard following at a discrete distance.

Zarana quickly pulled her arm from her brother's. "Come on! The line is probably parsecs long already!"

Aria's arm lingered a moment in Troi's. "Relax, Zara, we'll get our turn."

Troi chuckled. "Give it up, Aria. You know how she gets."

Laughing, the three young people wound their way through the crowd, finally arriving at the roller coaster. "I knew it," Zarana groaned. "Look at the line!"

"We'll get our turn," her brother told her, as they took their places. Shorter than they thought, they were on the ride. A few minutes later, they were back on the ground, laughing and staggering.

"_Gestra livral!_ That was great!" Zarana cried. "Want to go again?"

Aria laughed. "Sure! Let's go! C'mon, Troi." She started off after her friend, then paused when she realized she wasn't being followed. "Troi?"

Troi was standing rock still in the middle of the path. "No…" His voice trailed off and he stumbled, his hands pressed to his temples.

"Troi!" Aria rushed over. Zarana followed a moment later and together they eased him down to a bench.

The body guard hurried to their side. "Majesties?"

"_Qwestrala di qeaylu inees! Pestra! Pestra!" _Zarana snapped at him.

Aria placed her hand on Zarana's shoulder. "Please, go find my mother." The man hesitated. "We'll be fine until you get back." He nodded, then hurried off, speaking quickly into his wrist-com. She turned back to Troi. "What's wrong?"

Zarana had her fingers on his wrist and had pulled a miniature med-scanner out of her pocket. _"Cochova?"_ she said softly.

Troi shook his head and his eyes cleared. Then he slumped down, clutching his head. _"Fladrea, resti sel vlatice. Tey distre Kach'Ara Delindra."_

"_Bellie sovt, Cochova," _Zarana soothed. "What happened?"

He looked up, his green eyes filled with pain. "I don't know. I saw—"

"Hey, having trouble with your squid?"

They all looked up to see a small group of young men sauntering towards them. Aria got up and stood protectively in front of Troi. "Is there something I can help you with?" she asked coldly.

"There's plenty you can help me with, sugar." One, apparently the ringleader, stepped forward. "Let's you and me go for a walk and talk for a bit. Leave the fish to flounder." His friends snickered behind him.

"Fish?" Zarana questioned.

"They must think you're Oceianiac. Let me handle this." Aria waited until he reached for her, then she struck. Her leg shot out at the same time as her hand, catching him unawares. He stumbled backwards, arms flailing as she spun and sent a high kick to his chest. He dropped to the ground. "Who's next?" she asked, smiling sweetly.

Before the stunned group could answer, security came rushing up. They quickly surrounded the group, hauling the fallen man to his feet. "Hey, I didn't do anything!" he protested. "She attacked me!"

"If I recall correctly, you insulted my friends then grabbed me," Aria retorted.

"Enough, you, let's go," one of the security guards gave him a light shove.

"I was only hitting on her, man."

"Next time make sure you know who you're accosting. You've insulted Lieutenant Troi Harrison, Prince and heir of the Druhle Empire, and his sister, Princess Zarana." Aria drew herself up to her full height as the man went pale. "I am Princess Aria of Arus." She eyed them coldly. "Pray we don't press charges."

"Aria…" Troi started.

She held up her hand to silence him, and nodded to security. They began leading them away as Edward and Alex rushed up. "What's going on?" Edward demanded.

Alex knelt next to Troi. "Are you all right, son?"

Troi looked up with bleary eyes. "I'm fine. Just my head."

"Let's get you home."

Zarana finished her scan. "There's nothing physically wrong, but I want him home, resting."

"Zara—"

"_Kelskata, Cochova. Sutra des nazala tey kala!"_ she snapped, her eyes flashing. "If you don't listen, I'll sedate you. And you know I'll do it, too!"

"Children, that's enough," Alex stood. "We're all leaving."

"Where's Mother? And the others?" Aria asked.

"They were escorted to a safe area when your security guard came to find us," Edward told us.

"Let's get to them," Troi said, getting to his feet. He swayed a moment and Alex steadied him.

"Take it easy, son," Alex said, holding his grandson's arm.

Troi closed his eyes a moment, then they snapped open. "I'm fine," he said again, stronger this time. Zarana muttered something under her breath, causing her brother to send her a scathing glare. She met his gaze fearlessly and after a moment, he turned and marched off.

"Remind you of someone?" Edward asked Alex.

"Like father, like son," Alex replied with a chuckle as they followed after the young man.

Zarana started behind them, but Aria grabbed her arm. "Is he all right?"

Something in her friend's tone made Zarana pause. She turned and looked deeply into her friend's eyes. "_Saladingero!_ You're in love with him."

Aria's cheeks turned bright red. "I am not."

Zarana smiled and squeezed her friend's hand. "He's fine. Or will be anyway. Come on. I want details."

_

* * *

Fire…a castle…fire…pain…death…_

"Lance! Lance,_ Svavaliadeelin_, wake up!"

Lance bolted awake, his body shaking. "Dorma! What happened?"

She ran her hand across his sweaty forehead. "I was hoping you could tell me. What did you see?"

He shook his head. "I…I don't know. It was a jumble of images. Fire, a castle…"

"Arus?" Dorma asked sharply.

"No, not Arus. At least I don't think it was but….I don't know." He looked up at his wife, then frowned. She was pale, her violet eyes huge. "Dorma, what is it?"

She drew back. "Nothing, it is nothing. You frightened me." She got up, pulling a robe around her shoulders and stood staring out the window.

Lance marched over to her and spun her around. "Don't lie to me."

Dorma shook her head. "I…" She sighed. "Like you I do not know. I felt pain, fear, but from both Troi and Keith."

Lance's eyes instantly turned cold. "What's wrong with Troi?" he snapped, gripping her arms.

"I told you, I do not know!" She pulled herself free. "I think it is only _Kach'Ara Delindra._ Like you, he senses something."

"Are you sure?"

She looked up at him, her violet eyes flashing. "Do you doubt me?"

"No." He paused a moment and when she didn't continue added. "And Keith?"

She frowned. "I told you before, he can hide himself from me now. I get only a vague feeling."

"What kind of feeling? Alright, alright!" He held his hands up. "So you can't tell. What do you want to do? I purposely made sure we were out of touch. I wanted alone time with you."

She smiled and walked into his arms, pulling his head down and placing her lips on him. "_Ke svavalia, _Lance."

"I love you too, Babe." They stood quietly wrapped in each other's arms.

Dorma looked up at her husband. "_Svavaliadeelin_, I…" Her voice trailed off.

Lance drew her close and smiling, kissed her softly. "We'll go home tomorrow."

* * *

Hazar marched down the hallway, is cape billowing out behind him. He stopped in front of a desk. "Where is Commodore Montgomery?" he demanded.

The woman looked up at him, startled. "He is under observation at the moment, S-Sir." Her eyes wandered to the two body guards, taking their place behind him.

Hazar leaned closer. "Where is Commodore Montgomery?" he asked again, his voice barely containing his anger.

"Commander Hazer. We've been expecting you." A man dressed in white scrubs stepped forward. "Sir, let me take you to him."

Hazar merely nodded and followed the man down the hall. Attendants and nurses quickly scattered out of his way. The doctor paused in front of a closed door. "This is the Commodore's room, Commander Hazar." He held his hand up and stopped Hazar from entering. "He is very ill, Sir. Very ill." They shared a look for a moment before Hazar nodded and entered the room.

Keith was pulling on his shirt and looked up in surprise. "Hazar? What are you doing here?"

"My staff was informed of your collapse." He eyed his friend critically. Keith was pale and moved stiffly. "Should you not be in bed?"

Keith snarled. "There's nothing wrong with me."

"_Cochova."_

Keith slumped forward, resting his hands on the window sill. He was quiet for a long time. Finally he spoke. "There's nothing they can do, Hazar," he said softly.

"I know." Keith looked up in surprise as Hazar walked over to him. "I have always known. Robeast poison does not allow for mistakes."

"I've had ten years. It's more than anyone expected."

"What did the doctors say?"

Keith shrugged, his gaze staring out at the traffic. "Six months. Maybe a year."

Hazar closed his eyes. "_Cochova,_ I am sorry."

"Don't apologize," Keith snapped, turning away. "I've told you before, it wasn't your fault."

"But—"

"I don't want to discuss this anymore." He sat on the bed and began pulling on his shoes. Pain streaked through his chest and he clenched his eyes shut, biting back a moan.

Hazar was at his side in an instant. "I will call a doctor."

"NO!" Keith took a shuddering breath. "No. I'm leaving."

Hazar sighed in resignation. "_Cochova…_"

"Hazar, I'm not going to waste what little time I have left being poked and prodded in a hospital. I already sent a memo resigning my commission. As of this moment, I've officially retired from the service." He looked up, his brown eyes deep with emotion. "I want to go home."

Hazar forced a smile and placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Come then, my brother. I will take you to your ship."

* * *

Later that evening, Troi stood on the deck at his grandparent's. He pressed a cold water bottle to his temple and looked out over the sea.

"Troi?"

He turned to see Aria framed in the doorway. "Hey."

She walked towards him. "Are you feeling better?" she asked softly.

He shrugged. "Best I can feel, I guess."

She joined him at the railing. "What did you see?" she asked hesitantly. "Can you remember?" Troi shut his eyes. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked." She started to walk away.

"Aria, wait." Troi grabbed her hand, stopping her. "It's not that I don't want to tell you, it's just that I can't."

"You can't?"

He shook his head. "It wasn't a real vision. Not like the ones I usually get. This was just pieces. Images. Nothing really…real."

Aria nodded. "I think so."

"There was fire, a castle. Not ours," he said quickly. "One I've seen but…" He shook his head and winced. "I have to stop doing that."

She brought her hands up and softly stroked his temples. "Your head still hurts?"

Troi merely nodded, he didn't trust his voice. She continued to massage his forehead, neither of them speaking. Finally he took her wrists and lowered them. "Thank you," he said quietly, still holding her hands in his.

Aria smiled softly. "You're welcome." They both turned as loud squeals of laughter came from the house. "It's getting late. I'd better go."

"I'll walk you home."

She laughed quietly. "There's no need for that. My grandparents are here. You stay and rest." She started inside, but Troi grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. He pressed his lips to hers, surprising them both. She stiffened in surprise, then melted into him. He pulled her backwards, further from the light of the house. "Troi…" she whispered as he rained kisses down her neck.

"Aria, _vola yestira_." He pulled back and rested his forehead on hers.

She turned her chocolate eyes up to his. "You _are_ feeling better," she teased.

He chuckled softly. "I guess I am." He placed one last kiss on her lips. "I'll take you home."

* * *

The blue green planet hung like a jewel suspended in among the black velvet of space.

"Sir, we are approaching the outer fringe. We should be within firing range in the next few hours."

The old man sitting in the commander's chair smiled. "Very well. Continue on course. We attack at dawn."


	9. Chapter 9

Yes, another chapter. Seems the new Voltron Force series has awakened my plot bunnies. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

I don't own Voltron or its characters, only the ones I've invented.

* * *

The cars pulled into the driveway at the Montgomery house. As the family had grown, Edward and Cassandra had added a pair of guest houses towards the back of the property to accommodate everyone.

Annie and Dirk had the smaller of the two cottages. They paused in the doorway to say good-night before slipping inside.

Troi led Aria, Allura and Hope to their cottage. Zarana chattered beside him; she had insisted on staying the night with Aria. Uncharacteristically, her voice grated on his nerves, causing his headache to build again. He held the door open as they went into the house.

Allura paused and laid her hand on his cheek. "Troi? Are you feeling ill again? Come in and sit for a few minutes."

He smiled. _"Sa, Vahlaa."_

They all walked into the kitchen, seating themselves at the table. Aria took some glasses from the cabinet and set them down. "Is your head bothering you again?" she asked.

Troi grinned. "Nothing that being served by three beautiful women can't cure."

"What about me?" Hope asked, pouting.

He scooped her up onto his lap. "Forgive me, Princess._ Four_ beautiful women." He tweaked her nose, making her giggle.

Allura shook her head. "You are so like your father."

"You say that as if it's a bad thing, _Vahlaa_."

"It is!" Zarana shot back.

They all laughed, but before Troi could come back, there was a noise upstairs. Instantly, he got to his feet, handing Hope to Allura. He pulled a pistol out of his jacket and stood protectively in front of her. "Aria, are you armed?"

She shook his head. "It's upstairs."

"Keith has an arms locker in the other room," Allura said quietly. She gave him the location and the combination, and Troi nodded and slipped out. He was back a few moments later and handed both Allura and Aria a gun. Allura handed Hope to Zarana.

They all froze as they heard the crash-like noise again. "Stay quiet," he ordered.

Zarana held Hope tightly in her arms. "We need to get back to the main house." Her voice held a touch of fear.

"No. We don't know how many there are. Aria, keep them safe."

Zarana grabbed her brother's arm. "Wait, where are you going?"

He pulled himself free. "Just stay here." He shot a look at Aria, then turned and headed towards the stairs.

Allura quickly took hold of the situation. "Into the den. There are only two windows there, and one door. Move." She herded them into the other room, pausing in the doorway to look back behind them. "Aria, call Garrison Security. Tell them we have a situ—"

"_Zarana! Kestray diella umpreliea! Vatay!"_

Zarana bolted towards the door but Aria caught her arm as he went by. "Wait!"

"No! Troi needs help!" She pulled herself free and rushed towards the stairs.

Allura hurried after her. "Aria! Stay with Hope!"

Aria turned towards her sister. Hope's face was pale and tears pooled in her eyes. "Come here, sweetie." The girl hurried into her sister's arms. "It's all right."

"Aria, I'm scared," she whimpered, burying her face against her Aria's stomach.

"Don't be. I've got you." She looked up as some one came pounding down the stairs. She pushed Hope away. "Get down behind the desk. Don't move and don't make a sound." The little girl threw herself down as Aria dropped to one knee, aiming her gun at the doorway.

"Aria! It's me! Stand down!"

"Troi?" She lowered her weapon and stood up as he entered the room. "What's going on?"

He squeezed her arm gently, "Hope? Honey, where are you?"

She popped up from behind the desk. "I'm here. What happened?"

He smiled and motioned for her to come to him. "It's nothing, honey. Your father decided to surprise us and come home early. He was the one making all the noise."

Aria looked stunned. "My father? But—"

"Hopeless, how about we head back to Aunt Kim and Uncle Cliff's house? You can have a slumber party with your cousins."

Her eyes lit up and she grinned hugely. "Yeah! That would be great!"

"OK then. Your Uncle Dirk will be here in a moment and he'll bring you." Troi looked up as he heard the door open. "And there he is!"

They all turned to see Annie race by them up the stairs. Dirk appeared a moment later, his expression tense with concern. He noticed them in the study and pasted a smile on his face. "Hey! Ready to go, Hope?"

She frowned. "But what about my clothes?"

Aria smiled down at her sister. "I'll go get them. Stay here." She tucked the pistol into her waistband and went up the stairs. She paused, hearing voices in her parent's bedroom, then hurried into Hope's room. She quickly gathered up some clothes and stuffed them in a duffel bag, then went back downstairs. She walked into the kitchen. "All set!" she said cheerfully.

Hope grabbed the bag and gave her sister a hug. "I'll see you tomorrow! Tell Daddy I'll see him, too!"

"I will." Aria looked up at Dirk. "Do you want me to go with you?"

He shook his head. "Stay here. I'll be back soon." He smiled and led Hope out the door.

Aria watched for a moment, then wrapping her arms around herself, she went back into the living room. Spying Troi, she walked to his side. "Tell me what's going on."

He shook his head. "I'm not really sure. I found your father on the floor upstairs."

"What?" Aria gasped.

He nodded. "He said he had tripped, that he was fine but…"

"But what?"

"He had these in his hand." He handed her a bottle of pills.

Aria read the label and frowned. "I don't understand."

"Look at the date."

She glanced down then back up at him, her chocolate eyes wide. "These were prescribed today. From a hospital in New York."

Troi nodded. "Exactly. He could hardly breathe and was in pain so I called Zara." He looked up at her. "She thinks he had a heart attack."

"What?" She jumped to her feet. "I need to get up there."

Troi grabbed her arm before she could race from the room. "Aria, wait. Annie and Zara are up there with your mother. Wait until they come down."

She stared up the stairs for a moment, then turned into his arms. "It'll be all right, _vola yestira._" He held her close, one hand stroking her hair.

* * *

Annie ran a scanner over Keith's forehead, then frowned at the readings. "Want to tell me exactly what happened today?"

Keith pushed him up to a sitting position on the bed and scowled. "Nothing. I'm fine. Like I told Troi, I tripped. It's no big deal.

"I'll be the judge of that." Annie looked back down at her scanner. "Pulse and blood pressure is elevated. Zarana, I need three cc's of—"

"No." Keith pushed her hand away. "I'm fine."

Allura placed her hand on her husband's. "Keith, she's only trying to help."

"I don't need any help!" He got to his feet and stormed from the room towards the bathroom.

Allura watched him leave, then turned to her sister-in-law. "Tell me."

Annie didn't reply, but handed Zarana the scanner. "What are your conclusions?"

Zarana peered down at the readout, then looked up, her violet eyes wide. "He had a heart attack."

"What?" Stunned, Allura sat down heavily on the edge of the bed.

Annie nodded and took her hand. "I hate to say this, but the data indicates that this wasn't his first. Has he been ill?"

Allura shook her head. "No, I mean, he's a little run down, but he's been working trying to finish up this peace treaty." She sighed. "I should have noticed but…" She glanced over at Zarana.

Annie caught the hint immediately. "Zara, why don't you go downstairs and let Aria and Troi know what's going on." The young woman raised an eyebrow in surprise, but nodded and left the room. "What is it, Allura?"

"We…We haven't exactly spend much time together lately. In fact," she dropped her gaze. "We haven't even been sharing a room," she finished quietly.

"Oh, Allura!" Annie pulled her close.

"But this isn't about me." She got up and paced the room. "Do we need to get Keith to a hospital?"

"No." Both women looked up in surprise to see Keith standing in the doorway. He held his hand up as Allura moved towards him. "I've had enough of hospitals for the day." He walked to the bed and sat down heavily, his head in his hands. "I collapsed during the meeting today. They told me I'd had a heart attack," he said quietly.

"Oh, Keith." Allura knelt next to him.

He looked up at her. "I'm done, Allura. I want to go home. Be with you and the kids, the team. I'm done babysitting the galaxy. I want my own life back. I want it with you."

She looked up at him, her blue eyes welling with tears. "I want that, too."

"Ahem." They both turned to look at Annie, who they'd forgotten about. "I want the name of the hospital. A heart attack isn't like a head cold. You're to rest and relax, nothing strenuous, understand?" Keith glared at her but she went on. "Did they run tests? Give you anything?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I have pills to take. I think I dropped them when I tripped. Troi must have picked them up. They told me to take them as needed."

"Uh-huh." Annie mad a few notes on her data-pad. "I'll be back in the morning." She pointed at him. "I mean it, Keith."

He smiled and chuckled softly. "Whatever you say, Doc."

She rolled her eyes and placed a kiss on his forehead. "Rest, big brother." She smiled at Allura and left.

Keith sighed heavily. "God, Allura; I've had a hell of a day." He pulled off his shirt. "Where are the kids?"

Allura took the shirt and placed it on a chair. "Dirk took Hope to Cliff and Kim's. Aria is downstairs with Troi and Zarana."

"I'll see them in the morning." He lay back on the bed. "Did you have fun at Disneyland?"

Allura changed into her nightgown and lay next to him. "We did. Hope got a Princess make-over."

Keith smiled. "I'd have liked to see that."

"I took pictures. The older ones hit the roller coasters and thrill rides." She decided to omit Troi's vision. _He's got enough stress at the moment._

"That's where I would have been." He yawned and closed his eyes. "I love you."

Allura felt his body relax as he drifted off to sleep. "I love you, too," she whispered softly as tears ran down her cheeks.

* * *

The wail of the alarm klaxon jolted Sven out of a deep sleep. He got up and quickly pulled on his clothes.

"What is it?" Romelle asked, also getting dressed.

"I don't know. Come." He held his hand out to her and they raced towards the palace control room. When they arrived, the room was in chaos. Bandor stood in front of the main screen issuing orders as troopers raced out the door.

"Bandor! What's going on?" Romelle demanded.

Her brother didn't turn but pointed to the screen. "We're under attack."

"By who?" Sven asked.

Bandor shook his head. "We don't know yet. Whoever it is, they've knocked out one of the main communication satellites. I've sent a team out to assess the damage and report back."

Romelle clutched her husband's hand. "Hans?"

"I'm sorry, Romelle." Bandor looked down at his sister. "His squadron is the best we have."

She nodded then drew herself up. "Where are they?"

Bandor turned back to the screen and pulled up a map, showing his sister where the attacks were happening. Sven eyed the area critically. "Those are highly populated areas. The casualties vill be many."

Romelle closed her eyes in silent prayer. "We need to get those who are still alive to safety." She looked up at her brother who nodded.

"I'm working on it, Romelle."

"Sir!" One of the men at the console called out. "We're getting a transmission from the prince."

"On speaker!"

The room went silent. Static aired across the room for a moment before Hans's voice broke through. _"Move closer! I want to see who these bastards are!"_

Sven winced at his son's choice of words, but remained silent.

Another voice spoke up. _"Commander! We're approaching Hyleigh_." There was a pause. _"It's leveled, sir. There's no one left."_

_Hans swore softly. "I'm going in."_

"_But, sir—"_

"_I'm going in! Secure the perimeter."_

Romelle moved closer to her husband. Sven put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

"_My God…No…"_ Hans's voice shook. _"Majesty…Dad, Mom…I hope you can hear me. I have a positive ID on the ships." _The room waited in silence. _"They're Druhle."_


	10. Chapter 10

Once again, sorry about the long delay...Real life isn't all it's cracked up to be. Rest assured, I have NOT forgotten this. The muses are talking again so things will hopefully progress more quickly. Thanks for your support! On with the show!

* * *

It was a little after dawn when Allura slipped out of bed and pulled on her robe. She paused at the door, looking back at Keith. He was still asleep, lying on his stomach with one arm hanging off the bed. She pulled the sheet up over him, then quietly went downstairs.

She made herself a cup of tea and wandered out to the deck. Like the house itself, the deck perched on the edge of a small cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. She stood, sipping her tea, and watched the waves crashing against the shore.

A sudden movement caught her eye and she turned to see someone jogging up the beach. As the figure got closer, she realized it was her eldest daughter.

Aria moved easily across the sand, just at the edge of the waterline. As she neared the house, she slowed and began doing a few easy stretches. After a few minutes, she sat down and stared out at the sea. Finally she got up and glanced up at the house. Spying her mother on the deck, she waved.

Allura waved back then stepped back inside. She was refreshing her tea when Aria walked in. "Hi, Mom. You're up early," she said as she pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge.

"I haven't really slept yet. Your father had a rough night," she replied softly, sitting down and staring into her cup.

Aria froze. "Is he worse?"

Allura shook her head. "No, but that didn't stop me from worrying all night."

"He works too hard, you both do," Aria stated matter-of-factly as she sat down at the table.

"Aria—"

"Don't, Mother, it's true. Daddy is always off doing something with the Druhles or Galaxy Garrison. If he's not there, he's at the Academy or training recruits somewhere." She shook her head. "You're the same way. I know that running a planet is a full time job but, when is the last time the two of you did anything together that didn't have to do with Galaxy Garrison or the Druhle Empire? The palace staff told me you weren't even sharing a room before you left!"

Allura's blue eyes flashed fire. "That is none of your business, young lady."

"Isn't it? My parents seem to be more interested in the universe than their own family!" Aria said heatedly.

"Enough." Her voice was like steel. "Your father and I have had our differences like every other couple. Differences that I don't have to explain to you or anyone else, is that understood?"

Aria played with her water bottle, not meeting her mother's eyes. "I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"

Allura sighed. "Sweetheart, your father and I are fine. Yes, we argued a bit before we left Arus, but that's mended now."

"It was over me."

"Aria." She reached out and took her daughter's hand. "It wasn't about you. You piloting Green was only part of it." She sighed. "Honey, your father and I love each other, but yes, we do too much. Both of us have responsibilities. Mine to my planet and my people; his to both his home-worlds and his job." She smiled. "We get on each other's nerves once in a while, but always work things out in the end. Stop worrying."

"I can't help it, look who I have for parents." Aria grinned a moment, then sobered. "I wish there was some way I could help you with the Royal stuff."

"Well, maybe there is now that you've done your studies."

Aria looked down, playing with her water bottle again. "Are you…are you still angry that I'm piloting Green Lion?" she asked softly.

"Angry, no. Concerned, worried, yes." Allura walked up and placed her cup in the sink. "Kitten, as your Queen, I'm proud that you were chosen to be her pilot. As your mother, I'm terrified."

"But what about Troi? And Dreana?"

"I'm just as worried about them." Allura put her hand under her daughter's chin and make her look up. "I wish Voltron wasn't needed at all, but…" She sighed. "I am terrified to lose you, you're my daughter, I love you. But I know how it feels to want to protect those you love. I won't stop you, but I won't stop worrying either."

Aria smiled. "Thank-you, Mother. I won't let you down."

"You never could." She smiled down at her daughter.

Aria smiled back. "Why don't you sit down and I'll make us some breakfast. How does French Toast sound?"

"That would be lovely."

* * *

Lance stood on the bridge of the yacht, arms folded across his chest, his expression stony as he stared out the windows. Outside, visibility was zero, with a wall of snow and wind surrounding the ship. One of the crew called out to the captain and handed him a computer print-out. The man shook his head as he read it. "It looks like we'll be stuck here for at least another day. This storm extends over 200 kilometers in every direction."

"No way to get a transport out here then?"

"I'm afraid not. We are making headway, just not much as I'd like. We may have to anchor her and ride this out."

"Thank-you, Captain." Lance marched out the door of the bridge and down the hall to his rooms.

Dorma looked up as he entered the room. _"Svavaliadeelin?"_

"I just had to find the most remote place on the planet to run off to. I can't send a message and the storm has made it impossible to leave. We're stuck here." He threw himself down on the couch, his green eyes bright with anger.

She moved over to stand next to him. "Why is it so imperative that we get home? Have you seen something?"

"No, not really." Dorma arched an eyebrow at him. Lance sighed. "It's just a feeling."

"What sort of feeling?" she persisted.

"I don't know…Impending doom?"

"Lance."

He got up and paced the cabin. "Ever since my nightmare, I've had this uneasy feeling. Nothing I can pinpoint." He stood in front of the window and stared out at the impenetrable blizzard.

She frowned. "I have sensed the same." He looked up in surprise. "Troi and Zarana are concerned, about what I do not know."

"And Keith?" he asked sharply.

"I sense…nothing. I told you, he has learned how to mask his thoughts." Her eyes unfocused for a moment and she shook her head. "No, there is nothing."

"That's something I guess." He slumped forward. "Dorma…"

She moved to his side and rested her hand on his. "Lance, _Svavaliadeelin_, if something were truly wrong, we would know."

"Yeah," he sighed. "You're probably right."

Dorma smiled, her indigo eyes twinkling. "I am always right."

"Hey, that's my line!"

She slid her hand from his hand to his chest. "You said we would not be able to leave tonight?"

"Yep," Lance replied with a grin. "That's exactly what I said."

Dorma looked up, a coquettish smile on her face. "Then perhaps we should think of something to do in order to pass the time."

* * *

Bjorn watched as the battered looking fighter approached the castle. He shielded his eyes as the pilot deftly set the craft down a few meters away. A few moments later, the engine shut down and the hatch opened, the pilot exiting down a ladder.

Pulling off his helmet, Hans shook his hair out of his face. Spying his younger brother, he hurried over. "Did you get my messages?"

His brother nodded and the two walked quickly into the castle. "We did. Druhles. Hans, are you sure?"

"I wish I wasn't." He stopped. "Hyleigh is destroyed. There can't be anyone left."

"No…" Bjorn closed his eyes in prayer.

Hans suddenly snarled in anger and threw his helmet, sending it crashing against the wall. "Dammit, Bjorn! Why? Why now! We've had peace for nearly twenty years!"

"Easy_, min broder_." He placed his hand on his brother's shoulder.

Hans whirled in anger, shrugging off his brother. "_Förbannar dig!_ You weren't there! You didn't see houses burning! People…children, lying dead in the streets!" His ice blue eyes glittered with unshed tears.

"Hans…" Bjorn pulled his brother close.

He pulled free, rubbing his hand over his face. "What else have you heard? Did Bandor get in touch with Galaxy Garrison?" Bjorn quickly looked away. "What? What happened?" Hans demanded.

His brother shook his head. "We tried. All our outside communications are being jammed."

Hans stared in disbelief. "Everything? What about Arus?"

"We can't get through to them either."

The grief in Hans's eyes was quickly replaced by anger. "Where is everyone?"

They started back down the hallway. "Freya and the twins are down in the bunker. Dad and Bandor are up in Control."

"And Mom?"

Bjorn smiled shrewdly. "Where do you think? They're all waiting for you to debrief."

"Let's not keep them waiting."


	11. Chapter 11

Keith awoke with the sun in his face. Groaning, he rolled over and sat up, stretching his arms over his head. He glanced at the clock, startled to see it was nearly noon. He heard the murmur of voices coming from elsewhere in the house, so he pulled on a t-shirt and a pair of loose pants then made his way downstairs in search of coffee.

He paused in the kitchen doorway, watching his family.

Cliff and Edward were sitting at the table, arguing good-naturedly over something. He spied Allura, Kim, Annie and his mother through the door on the deck. He couldn't see the children, but he could hear them. Smiling, he stepped into the room. "Good morning."

His father looked up in surprise. "Well good morning, son."

"Or should we say good afternoon?" Cliff quipped. "How are you doing, mate?"

Keith walked over and poured himself a mug of coffee. "I've been better, but then again, I've been worse." The three of them laughed as he sat down.

Hearing the sound, Allura turned. Seeing her husband at the table, she touched Annie's arm and together they came inside. "You're awake," she said as she placed a soft kiss on top of his head.

"Almost," he replied, taking another sip of coffee.

"That decaf?" Annie asked, taking his hand and checking his pulse.

"No, it's not." Keith pulled his arm free and marched over to the counter, refilling his cup.

"Now now, let's not prod the man the moment he wakes up," Cliff intervened.

Before Annie could reply, Hope burst through the door. "Daddy!" Keith barely had time to put his mug down before she threw herself into his arms.

"Hey there, Hopeless!" He hugged her close. "I've missed you. Did you have fun at Disney?"

She nodded, her blue eyes twinkling. "I had so much fun! We saw Mickey and rode the tea-cups and the merry-go-round and the train! We saw a big castle too! But it wasn't as big as _our_ castle."

Keith chuckled. "I wouldn't suppose it was."

"We even saw princesses. But they weren't real ones like me and Aria." Keith laughed. "Mommy wouldn't let me go on the roller coaster though," she said with a glare at Allura.

"She wouldn't let me go on it either," Cliff said with a grin.

Cassandra and Kim joined them. Cass looked at her son in concern, but smiled. "Welcome home, Keith."

"Thanks, Mom. Wasn't quite the homecoming I wanted, but hey, I'm here." He smiled back and put Hope down.

Cliff got to his feet. "OK, Hope, let's head down to the beach. Your sister is down there with Uncle Dirk and the rest of the gang."

Hope gave her father another hug and raced out the door. "I'll catch you later, Keith. Take it easy today," Cliff told him.

Keith nodded. Kim walked over and squeezed his hand. "Go, I'm fine," he told her, smiling into her hazel eyes.

"I wouldn't go _that_ far," Annie muttered behind them.

Keith shot her a murderous glance, and stormed out onto the deck.

Cliff shook his head. "Nice going, champ."

Annie didn't back down. "He's not going to be able to brush this off like he's done in the past. He had a heart attack, not some split lip from wrestling. He's going to have to make some lifestyle changes and he's going to have to deal with it."

"But right now wasn't the time to push him on it," Kim told her sister. "You know Keith, back him into a corner and he'll come out swinging."

"But this is serious!"

"We know it is. And so does Keith," Edward said calmly.

Cassandra shook her head. "I agree with Annie. Keith is killing himself by inches. Trying to run a planet, work with the Garrison…"

Allura couldn't listen anymore and slipped outside. She spotted her husband leaning on the railing, looking down over the beach. She moved to stand next to him, not speaking, just resting her hand on his.

"Hope sounded like she had fun at Disney," he remarked a short time later.

"She did. We all did."

"But no roller coaster, huh?" He winked at her.

Allura rolled her eyes. "No, no roller coaster. Aria, Zarana and Troi went on them though."

"Not you?"

Allura shook her head vehemently. "No!"

Keith laughed and pulled her into a hug, resting his head on hers. They stood quietly a few moments before Allura spoke. "How _are_ you feeling?" she asked hesitantly.

He smiled at her tone and held her tighter. "A little tired, achy. Mostly I'm looking forward to just relaxing and enjoying the rest of this vacation. Contrary to what Annie thinks, I'm planning on doing nothing more than hanging out on the beach."

Allura gazed up and her blue eyes twinkled. "Is that all?"

"Brat. Now I know where our daughters get it from." He kissed her on the lips and turned so that they both faced the ocean with his arms still wrapped around her. "I told the brass I'm done with active duty. I'll still have to give my input on occasion, but other than that, I'm all yours."

Allura chuckled. "Good. And I'll have you know that when we get back to Arus, I'm going to give some of the day to day duties over to Aria."

Keith started in surprise. "You are?"

She nodded. "We had a long talk this morning and it got me thinking." She turned and placed a hand on his cheek. "We've lived long enough for everyone else, don't you think it's time to start living for us?"

Keith ignored the guilt rising up in his chest. _I have to tell her, but not now._ He bent and kissed her again. "Sounds like a plan." He pulled her close and closed his eyes. _I only wish we had more time._

* * *

"Lance, we should be arriving at the wharf shortly." Dorma watched the waves break outside the yacht.

"Uh-huh."

"I am glad the captain was able to get us back here sooner rather than later, despite the storm."

"Yeah."

"Will your parents be meeting us?"

"Uh-uh."

"How are we getting to the house?" There was no answer, so she turned to look at her husband. "_Svavaliadeelin_, what are you doing?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing," he replied quickly, shutting down the tablet he had been looking at.

She narrowed her eyes. "Lance."

"What?" he said, batting his eyes innocently at her.

"_Baldeshika._"

"Right back at ya, Babe." He grinned. "We'll call when we get there. I want to stop at the Montgomery place first. I have to send a message to Keith."

* * *

Hans sat at the conference table, his arms folded across his chest. His brother, Bjorn, sat to one side of him, his parents at the other. Bandor sat at the head of the table, his expression stony. "Are you sure the ships were Druhle, Hans? Absolutely sure?"

"Yes, Majesty," Hans replied. "They were an older model, but there is no doubt in my mind that they were Druhle."

Shouting erupted around the table with councilors and military personnel all vying to be heard. Bjorn nudged his brother. "This is ridiculous. We need to do something, not waste our time arguing about it."

Hans nodded. "I agree." He stood, folding his hands across his chest. It took a few moments, but finally the rest of the council noticed.

"Hans, do you have something to say?" Bandor asked.

"Thank-you, sir." He nodded towards his uncle. "We have no idea what the Druhles intentions are."

"I think they've made it clear," one of the councilors muttered.

Hans ignored the man and went on. "I propose we sent a strike team to draw out their fire while a smaller force gets inside their base. That way, we should be able to figure out why they're here and what they're planning." He sat back down.

Bandor thought a moment. "It might work." He looked up at Hans. "Which team will you be on?"

"Infiltration, Majesty. Bjorn can lead the strike team."

"Very well. Pick your teams and get with me in an hour."

"Now vait yust a minute," Sven shook his head. "Ve need to discuss this."

Hans shook his head. "No, Father_._ There is nothing to discuss."

Bjorn put a hand on his brother's arm. "Mother, Father, you know he has to go. As do I." Bjorn turned to his uncle. "Majesty, I will lead the strike team."

Bandor stood. "This meeting is adjourned. I suggest you all get to the shelters."

As the others began to leave the room, Sven marched over and stood staring out the window, an angry glower on his face. Romelle moved to stand by him.

Hans waited until everyone but his parents and brother had left the room. He walked over to his parents. "Dad, please."

Sven sighed and leaned over, resting his hands on the windowsill. "_Ja, _Hans, I know." He stood and faced his son. "But I do not haf to be happy about it."

Romelle embraced both her sons. "You be careful. No unnecessary risks, understand?" Both men nodded. "Good, now go get ready. I'll be up in the Control Room watching."

"Romelle..." Sven started. She merely looked him in the eye and he threw up his hands, backing off.

She kissed both boys. "Go. Be safe." The boys hurried out the door. She waited until they had left before turning into her husband's arms.

He held her close for a few minutes. "Come, _Elskling, _we will go together."

* * *

Aria stood watching Hope and the other children play in the sand. Harry had built a sand castle, and Beth and Hope were running back and forth from the surf, trying to fill the moat. Dirk and Edward were building a castle of their own, bragging and egging them on that theirs was better. Kim and Annie were walking along the shoreline, heads bent in deep conversation. Knowing her sister was fine, she turned and walked in the opposite direction.

She wandered up the beach, stopping once in a while to pick up a shell, her thoughts muddled. She hadn't expected her mother's retorts to her comments this morning. Thinking back, Aria realized she had been acting like a spoiled child rather than the adult she claimed to be. She walked over to a dune and pulled off her shoes, burying her feet in the warm sand. She stared out over the ocean, watching the waves crash on the shore. Voices brought her back to the present as she spied Zarana and Troi walking down the beach.

They walked over to her and Zarana slipped her hand in hers. "How are you holding up?"

Aria shrugged. "OK, I guess."

"Your father?"

"He's still sleeping."

Troi frowned. "That's not like him. Even when he was shot a few years ago, he was wandering the castle as soon as he could stand."

"The man just had a heart attack, _kestrde valindal!_" Zarana exclaimed. "He's entitled to sleep in! Besides, _Taakmalda _Brenda said she was coming over this morning to see him. Keith will have a harder time getting rid of her like he did with Annie."

Troi nodded. "She'll put him in place in no time." He smiled down at Aria.

Zarana elbowed him. "Make goo-goo eyes at her later."

Her brother scowled and muttered something in Druhle under his breath. Zarana smiled innocently, pretending she hadn't heard.

"This vacation isn't turning out like I hoped it would," Aria said, tucking her hand in Zarana's elbow and starting down the beach. Troi followed close behind them.

"You mean having Troi here collapse at Disneyland, then having your father show up unexpectedly after a heart attack isn't your idea of a good time?"

"Zarana, _dalliaj te sloklitay._" Troi spoke sharply.

"It's all right, Troi." Aria sighed. She proceeded to tell her friends about the conversation she had had with her mother earlier that morning. "She hinted that she wants me to help with some of her royal…stuff. I don't know if she's serious or if she's just looking for an excuse to keep me off the Team."

"She won't keep you off my Team. I can promise you that," Troi said vehemently.

"Easy, tiger." Zarana paused, looking up at her friend. "Aria, what do _you_ want?"

Aria pursed her lips tightly, "I want to protect my people and my planet. I want my family and friends safe. And I will do whatever it takes to do that."

"You won't do it alone." Troi took her hand, looking down into her chocolate eyes. "I promise."

They stood there for a few moments, gazing at each other. Finally Zarana cleared her throat. "Isn't this all a moot point? I mean, Arus hasn't been attacked in over a decade, not to mention the peace treaty that was just signed." She shook her head. "We're all just over reacting. Come on, let's swim." She jogged on ahead, pulling Aria with her.

Troi watched them go, then sighed to himself. I _hope she's right and this is all nothing._ He shuddered, remembering his hazy vision._ But something is coming. I only wish I knew what it was._


End file.
